Black Bull 12 Year (Duncan Taylor)

Whisky number 6 from the batch of 12 blends I'm currently rating - and this one is quite something. Nose: Big rich sherry, malt and oak - an enveloping blanket of aromas worthy of a sherry-rich Speyside single malt. Vanilla and toffee, deep floral notes (violets, damask rose) but they are subtle and add depth without making it a sweetly floral nose. Palate: After the weight and power of the nose, the palate was a surprise - just as impressive, but juicy, chewy and almost crisp with a bright, clean arrival. I was expecting thick and sweet, but not a bit of it. The grain component is magnificently used here, keeping everything lean and poised. This is how to make a blend! There is a solid alcohol heft (50% ABV) but it's not a crude punch or hot attack. Very nice sherry and oak flavours, dark fruits, orchard fruits, dark cherries, treacle, plum pudding. Finish: Medium/long. It fades out slowly on a slightly spicy, but very juicy, sherry and dark chocolate note that leaves the mouth watering. I tasted this neat to start with, then added about 5ml of water to what was about 20 ml left in the glass. This did not change the profile much but toned things down a bit and allowed some more subtle levels of the previously mentioned aromas and flavours to emerge. It did bring out some dark marmalade in the development and let the grain whisky come more to the front. This is a rich, round, full, top-shelf scotch blend that could pass for a malt blend. Very nice indeed, and an order of magnitude better than any of the other blends I've been rating recently. To be fair it is 2-3 times the price of the others but at AUD$90 it is good value and equal to, or better than, any other blend at that price point (and a fair few malt blends and single malts as well). A lovely dram. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

A rich, Blended Scotch Whisky by Duncan Taylor & Co. in Scotland; a blend of 50% classic Highland single malts & 50% Lowland grains married in ex-Bourbon casks for a full 12 years of maturation. It has an aromatic birth with notes of red fruits, cherry, cereals, nuts, toffee, spices, cocoa & lemon curd; while a bold & tangy life adds notes of milk chocolate, apple & butter toffee; that led to a creamy & warming death of medium length with notes of sweet berries & caramel. February / October 2020 / August 2022

I love this! Nose is sherry, sherry, sherry and finally vanilla oak. Taste is sweet and complex oak, vanilla and caramel giving way to balanced tannin. Loverly mouth feel and all this unwatered at 50% - impressive. Adding water brings out a treacle element in the nose and quietens down the taste and stretches out separates the tannin finish. I actually prefer it neat. 4 Stars or 92

For $36, it's a solid blend. Lots of fruit, apple, pear, lemon, cherry, with some vanilla, honey. There's also a little bit of a sparkling white wine-type impression I get from this. Not a lot of depth, and it's a little on the hot side. But I wouldn't hesitate much to pick it up again if looking for a fruity Speyside blend with a higher proof.

The grain alcohol is detectable immediately. Maybe the ratio of malt to grain has changed. The sherry cask isn't a bad touch, but I'm fighting the grain alcohol the whole time. There are much better blended malts out there and even some better blended scotch for the price that are better incorporated.

A fine blend! The high malt percentage used shows, as does the higher ABV; this is a rich, chewy dram, with a soft layer of fresh fruit, vanilla, and spice over a muscular base of earthy grain. This has enough personality to hold up in a cocktail fairly well....which is a compliment!