Gordon Graham's Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky

Product of: United Kingdom

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Established in 1879 by three brothers who were tea blenders in Aberdeen, it’s believed the Graham brothers’ original blended Scotch whisky comprised peated Speyside malts, but for years Black Bottle was based on Islay malts. In September 2013 it was re-blended to be more in keeping with the original

The bottle shape and name are based on a pot still: smugglers used to refer to them as ‘black pots’. The bottles, which were (as the name suggests) originally black, were sourced from Germany until the outbreak of the First World War, when supply problems led to the use of green glass. The black bottle was reintroduced in September 2013 with the release of the new blend. The design of the new bottle being inspired by a bottle dating from 1906.

Acquired by Burn Stewart in 2003.

Review and Tasting

Sampled on 08/11/2016

Appearance:

Clear, bright coppery amber with polished gold highlights.

Aroma:

Honey, barky wood, old leather, hay bale, ashtray, shoe polish, peach and faint peaty smoke.

Taste:

Honeyed sweetness, nubuck leather, pear, apple pie, candied ginger, cinnamon and black pepper spice with ashtray smokiness.

Aftertaste:

Long sweet vanilla and leather with nutmeg and pepper spice. Mild smoke.

Overall:

The smoky ashtray and shoe polish notes in this blend make it somewhat polarising. Some with love and admire its distinctive character others will yearn the return of the former Islay Black Bottle blend.