News
Thu 3rd Nov 2011 New Honours for The Last Drop latest Release
Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2012 rates The Last Drop 50 year old Blended Scotch Whisky 'Best Blended Scotch 26-50 years for 2012'
Since 2009, Jim Murray, in his world-renowned Whisky Bible, has given his highest praise to our first release. 96.5 points puts The Last Drop in the stratosphere of whiskies that give you the will to live, alongside bottles with famous names, selling at astronomical prices.
For 2012, we have given Jim an exclusive preview of our third baby (we launched a 1950 Cognac to great acclaim last year; see what Jim says on our website).
This is a 50 year old blended whisky from many malt and grain distilleries, all of them renowned, and sadly many now defunct. After long ageing, it was recasked in new Spanish oak three years ago. The resulting quality surprised us, and Jim, for its power and depth. We shall only have about 150 bottles and we're keeping some for ourselves. But a few lucky people around the world will get a chance to taste, to savour, one of the world's most extraordinary, and delicious whiskies.
Jim Murray's tasting notes:-
The Last Drop 50 Years Old (96.5) n25 where once there was bourbon only, now we have a cross fertilisation of aromas. Certainly, once you allow it to breathe, the grape engulfs most else. It is as if the whisky has undergone a fruity polish and shine. On first pouring, the oak has the ability to cause splinters; allow to settle for a while and we are talking a much softer, less senile Drop; and slowly the spices unravel; t24.5 if you could capture the first second and a half of the delivery somehow mass produce it and sell that to the world: everyone would have the chance, just once in their lives, to taste perfection. But it is a fleeting moment as soon the oak is delivered some stern truths about the wearisomeness of time, though does so with cut glass panache and inimitable, effortless style. Perhaps what is so astounding about this, is the way that the balance does not, even for a second, waiver under the occasional oaky onslaught: as it bites, from somewhere a grapey honeycomb flies in to the rescue offering just-so compensatory sugars which perfectly match the most delicate spices imaginable; f22.5 now we edge towards a drier finale than before. The original was remarkable for not having a degree of bitterness, though it had every right to be there. Now, alas, there is and with it slips the crown of World whisky of the Year, which was within its grasp until then. The bitterness is slightly furry and dusty, but to make amends we are treated to one very old Melton Hunt cake, indeed; b24.5 call me old-fashioned. Call me conservative. Perhaps I speak with the mind of one with little love for gambling. Yet, there again, has lived an unconventional life which some might say was one entire gamble and where the norm would be entirely unrecognisable to any other on this planet. But I tend to stick to the old adage: if it isn't broke, don't fix it. However, I do admire what has been done here. Because it was a gamble for the right reasons, which has paid handsomely in many ways, yet has just fallen short in others. Here, they took a magnificent whisky which for no other reason than pure serendipity, like Adam Adament, had awoken in another age but instead of, like our Victorian hero, being lost in a strange new world, found itself in one ready to appreciate and embrace its manifold beauty. This whisky was thrown back for a few extra summers in oak to take it to 50 years. A bold move. And it remains a quite astonishing, for life-remembering dram of labyrinthine complexity. But it has clearly changed: it is a different animal. As I write this, one of the men behind it, the industry legend Tom Jago, is unwell. I raise the glass of this unique whisky to honour you, my old friend: may you soon be as well and vibrant as your glorious creation. 52%.