Mackillips 37 year old

[Patdf]

Hello all,
I am a new member and also just began enjoying single malts. I have currently tried Glenlivet 12, Coal Ili 12, and Bowmore 12. I am now partial to the Islay malts as I enjoy the heavy flavors. I just had a birthday and received from my brothers a bottle of Mackillops single cask 37 year old scotch. It was distilled in 1666 and bottled in Nov 2004. I have searched the internet and have not come up with any reviews or information about that bottle. My main concern is that I enjoy the Islay types and am not certain I may enjoy the eastern highland scotch as that is where this came from. I would like to see a review on taste, and better if there is someone out there who has tasted it. Any information about this bottle would be appreciated. My brothers still have the receipt so I could return it, but if I read about it I may reconcider especially since it was a gift. Thank you in advance.

Regards,
Pat

[Deactivated Member]

It was distilled in 1666 and bottled in Nov 2004.

Wow! A 338-year-old!

(Sorry, Pat--no mercy, not even for first-timers! Consider yourself baptized, and welcome aboard.)

What distillery is this from?

I think if I were you I'd put this aside for a while. It's a very nice gift, whatever it is, and you'd kick yourself later if you returned it, but I don't think you're ready to appreciate it (and I don't mean that as a putdown in any way). You'll know when you want to open it. Think of it as an investment in your future appreciation.

[Patdf]

Wow what a start, LOL
I'll start again by correcting the year, It's a 1966, and the distillery is Banff.
Thanks again,
Pat

[les taylor]

Wecom Patdf. I'm with Mr T your palate will develop and change. Also when you do get to try the whisky it will bring extra enjoyment as it is a present from your brothers.

Your collection will grow to include many expressions from all the regions and this is just the start of that.

[kallaskander]

Hi there,

welcome to the forum. As we are a ever helpful bunch here a tasting note

http://www.whiskymag.com/whisky/brand/b ... ky661.html

which goes to show that you rarely ever get what you ask for here

But seriously I could not find any notes on that particular Banff but if you want you can contact them on their homepage.

What I can say is that Banff was known to be a bit eratic in their quality partly due to problems with their water supply.

http://www.mackillopschoice.com/

Greetings
kallaskander

[irishwhiskeychaser]

I had a bottle of 1976 bottled in 2005 and I found it to be a very pleasent dram. For the age I suppose you expect more at times but nice all the same.


Not a dram to blow you away like the Islay's but a nice reflective dram for the arm chair beside an open fire. Anyway the older the dram usually the more refined than it's younger siblings in any distillery.

Here are my thoughts on my bottle which remember can be very different from what you have.

Banff 1976 40% bottled 2005 Gordon & MacPhail (Con Choice)
Nose: Fresh cut grass in the distance, Sweet Malt, apple drops, ripe pear & lemon citrus in a touch of washing liquid.
Taste: Slight touch of ash on the tip of the tongue but no real sign of the smoke. sweet spices, burnt sugar and liquorice.
Finish: Waters away fairly quickly but lingers all the same. Sweet with a touch of pepper and spice at the sides of the tongue and quite woody at the very end.
This is a lovely dram which kind of reminds me of a Glenrothes I once had, only sweet fruit instead of sweet toffee here. probably could of done been bottle at a higher abv but enjoyable all the same.

[Patdf]

Thank you for all you replies. kallaskander thank you for the link. I have e-mail Mackillops with all the information off the bottle and hopefully they can give me some review. Thank you to all.

Regards,
Pat

[peergynt323]

http://www.whiskyfun.com/archivedecember06-2.html#231206

That link might interest you. If I were in your shoes, I would keep it.

I was hesitant to buy a highly recommended Signatory CS Mannochmore because of the whole Loch Dhu thing and less than stellar ratings/reputation from the malt maniacs, but I have to say that it is one of the best Speysiders I've tasted.

MacKillop's Choice doesn't have the reputation of the big boys, but he gets respect from more than a few ITB people around here.

[Admiral]

MacKillop's Choice doesn't have the reputation of the big boys, but he gets respect from more than a few ITB people around here.

Ha Speaking for myself and on behalf of about 5 other very passionate whisky enthusiasts with whom I regularly drink & assess malts, the MacKillop's Choice bottlings rarely impress.

Most of them are over-aged....he seems to bottle casks that should have been bottled 5 or 10 years earlier. Many of them are dry, woody, astringent, & have had all the life sucked out of them. I reckon the hit ratio is about 1 in 5....i.e. 1 good bottling for every 4 poor bottlings. One of my colleagues has concluded that Lorne seems to pick up the casks that the other independents rejected. I don't know if that's true or not, but I certainly question his selection policy, and I actually believe that his wine background (he's a Master of Wine) is a liability, not an asset.

Cheers,
ADmiral