60 yo Single Malt

[BEEDEE]

Launched for the Diamond Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news...ectid=10783743

Can't afford it, but if anyone buys a bottle would really like to know how it tastes!

Brian

[McClef]

As would I but I have doubts as to whether anything over 20-26 years in the wood would make it exceptional.

But with a free sample am fully prepared to admit I could have been wrong!

[Jack Daw]

I have sampled only three single malt scotches aged beyond 18 years and was disappointed in all three in that I did not find that the taste was appreciably different over the 18. This could be due my own tasting skill limitations; but regardless, I don't intend to try more other than to finish off over time what I have already purchased (1 bottle of Macallan 21) or received as gifts.

[ForresterModern]

This bottling likely comes from a single barrel, which would normally hold about 250 liters when full, which has been held back by the secondary bottler (Gordon & MacPhail----not even the original distiller) obviously now for 60 years, for what purpose I have no idea. After 60 years there would have to be a serious amount of evaporative losses from the barrel, likely with some concentration of the various esters and other less volatile, and therefore less likely to evaporate, flavoring chemicals, which to me means a pretty potent flavour likely without a commensurate alcohol content. Considering that the typical US whiskey barrel is remanufactured into a Scottish hogshead barrel at a volume of about 250 liters, the fact that they only got 85 bottles (probably the standard UK 700ml size) would mean that they only got about 60 liters out of that 250 liter 60 year old barrel. IMHO not a good sign for an optimal tasting whiskey. So obviously the value is simply in the combination of its age with the fact that if was fortuitously bottled 4 days before the queen's coronation, making it perfect for a commemorative bottling that will make them lots of money relative to the amount of resources invested. It is highly unlikely that any of these bottles (okay, many) will ever have their corks removed, and when/if they do those who do so will most likely be doubly disappointed in the product taste plus their costly loss of intrinsic value.

Cute idea, convenient and timely. Wonder if they kept another cask or two for the potential 65th, 70th, or 75th anniversary?

[Eck]

ForresterModern - I'm impressed

[Bing]

There's a 25, 30 and 40 yo on this list, and you can get all of them from the LCBO

Here is your chance to purchase 6 of the world’s finest Single Malts

I wouldn't describe any of them as a 'novelty whisky' like I would for the coronation bottle.

[Bigkahuna]

You can get samples (100mls) containers of various rare Whisky at "Masters of Malt.com". They are located in the British Isles.

[Madadh]

When I was last in Scotland at one of the distilories, they told us that they loose 2.5% per year to evaporation (The lad called it the angles share). For a 250 litre barrel after 8 years that means only 204 litres remains.
After 12 years 184.5
20 years 150.7
30 years 116.97
60 years 54.7

[Piipriker]

This one has 42,3 %, I think they "watered" it down to get a reasonable amount of bottles.

Infos and tasting notes on the website of Gordon & MacPhail:

http://www.gordonandmacphail.com/dia...rant.html#malt

[ForresterModern]

This one has 42,3 %, I think they "watered" it down to get a reasonable amount of bottles.

Watering down from cask strength (high 50's -65% abv) to the more pedestrian 40-46% in NOT typical for a special bottling such as this, so I would agree that they likely brought down its concentration to increase the number of bottles available for sale, but more likely to make the whisky itself a bit more palatable, as it would be expected to have a very strong set of flavors due to concentration of the flavoring chemicals of the brew plus those brought out of the barrel in 60 years being "secondarily distilled" by the profound amount of evaporative losses of alcohol and water content over time. I seriously doubt whether many would describe its finish as "smooth". The dilution surely would not hurt its flavor if done well.

Madadh's calculations are probably about right and correspond with my estimates earlier. I cannot access the tasting notes through the firewall of my system right now but will check back tonite. With only 80 bottles total it is highly unlikely that much if any of this stuff will ever see the light of day except at auction, let alone the bottom of my crystal scotch glasses.