These two drams received a lot of attention recently. The Old Pulteney 21 y.o. was named ‚World’s Greatest Whisky 2012‘ by Jim Murray with 97.5 points in his annual release Whisky Bible, a choice many people joked about, and the Ardbeg 1991 – 2011 Malts of Scotland for Hotel Bero from an extremely dark Sherry Cask 11003, 48,8%, started fiercly held debates in several forums because a) of its color and b) you can only get a bottle if you stay over night at Hotel Bero in Belgium (well, at least no other duties like kissing Geert Bero’s ugly cousin or dancing in lingerie on a pole were involved there, so what is all the fuss about?

Slainte Math, Geert!

It’s a real cool place to stay with great cuisine, you Ardbeg nuts! By the way: excellent marketing, Geert! I like this creation of hype).

Let’s take a look behind the chitter-chatter and only judge quality:

Old Pulteney OB 21 y.o., 46%

Nose: Very balanced, an allrounder. Smoked peaches (does that exist?), maritime freshness, white

pepper, a lot of vanilla, honey, ripe pears and intense apple compote. It is much less farmyardy than earlier versions, this bottling is clean and fruity-sweet like a first-fill Bourbon-Cask Glenmorangie. Later I am getting milk coffee, whiffs of leather and even more tropical fruits in the sweet malkt. Maybe a tad too nice – like an A+ student.

Palate: Dry at first with dried flowers and heather. Woodier and more gristy (just as I remembered it) than the nose suggested, but overall very fruity and tropically sweet (white oak madness) like above.

Finish: Very long, malty, gristy and sweet. Echoes of the fruit and vanilla and big Bourbon Cask influence again.

Score: 90

Comment: This whisky has become more mainstream. Every note is clean, upfront and present, Bourbon Casks are doing the fruity trick, but spices are missing a bit. This Pulteney is more on the oaky side in general. Where have the stable notes gone? Good whisky, but not the world’s best whisky in this year for me. However, I have no problem with Jim Murray’s decision – taste is individual, in this case VERY individual. Congrats to the producers and thanks to Lucas for the quick shipment of the sample.

Ardbeg 20 y.o. Malts of Scotland for Hotel Bero (Commemorating 90 Years and Four Generations), 2.1991 – 10.2011, Sherry Cask 11003, 240 btl., 48,4%

Nose: As deep as the colour. Burnt woodsticks in a bonfire, roots and herbs (camphor) like in a Port Charlotte, new tires, dark fruits, orange zests and figs, cola nut, tarry rope, pine resin, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, leather, coffee beans, beef jerky, forest honey, traces of sulphur and iodine, lit Cuban cigar, pepper and mustard seed. All that jazz is well-integrated and still maritimely fresh.

Palate: Liquid ashes,chalk and earthy roots at first, then it displays old medicinical Ardbeg notes, which is extremely good news. Hello beetroot! Resin! Herbs! As dirty and mossy as the Very Old Ardbeg or some 1967s plus my beloved model train trafo burn aroma. Round, not disjointed at all. Wow.

Finish: Extremely long and flinty (gunpowder). Sulphur, ash, peat and iodine in a great combo, tobacco, cocoa powder, pine needles and resin smoke. Just perfectly balanced between bitter and sweet, wonderfully dirty – like clothes and skin after a night at the bonfire.

Score: 91+

Comment: Awesome cask choice – and I find it extremely heartwarming that such old-style Ardbegs can still be found (with hints to Port Charlotte). I just wish I knew where! Anybody selling?

World's Greatest Whisky, Mr. Murray?

Before we will talk about the World’s Greatest Whisky made at Old Pulteney 21 years ago – according to whisky-writer Jim Murray in the new Whisky Bible – soon (with tasting notes) we stay modest and humble today and try a blend for a change … which comes from the same owner’s company:

„Blended Whisky is Crap“

A Great Blend

This quote from the Hollywood movie Malice might be shared by some Gung Ho Single Malt Hardheads. These guys shouldn’t forget that soaring Blended Whisky Sales in the past brought us many cherished distilleries in the first place and kept the exotic product Single Malt alive inhard times – although blending demands were also responsible for the closing of distilleries later on.

In terms of taste, there are great blends and vats out there, no question about it. I think of Cutty Sark 25, the old Campbeltown Loch 25 (dumpy bottle), the Compass Box series and many others – not necessarily very old. Young vintage blends from the past can be a special treat and kick some Single Malt’s butt easily because they show surprising maturity at an early age and maybe some OBF (old bottle flavour). But can modern blends do the trick as well? Some can – we are just not willing to try them!

Today’s article wants to give you such an example of a well-done blend that wouldn’t negatively stand out within a decent line-up of Single Malts.

Hankey Bannister 12 y.o. ‚Regency‘, 40%

Recently, I could revisit Inver House’s moderately priced blend Hankey Bannister 12 y.o. – a name with a long history. Honestly, I didn’t expect much from it – but it really surprised me and tickled my fancy:

Nose: Very well-balanced with some heat at first – dried flowers, heather and hay, powerful spice combo (white pepper, ginger, coriander), licorice, raisins, apricots, grapefruits and sweet malt.

Palate: Round and very drinkable, slightly dry, becoming sweeter with notes of botrytis-infested grapes, raisins, almonds and the sweet malt again, accompanied by a mix of the mentioned aromas of the nose.

Finish: Long and satisfying without any off-note, a real ‚quaffer‘!

Score: 87+

Comment: Try it for yourself, it is affordable. Try blends in general from time to time. With this bottle I would invite some friends (not necessarily Maltsters) and just savour it during a nice poker night or a football match. Perfect.