Carsebridgde 42 Year Old 1960 Chieftain’s Choice

The Carsebridge distillery was founded in 1798 and even produced malt whisky until 1852! But the demand for grain whisky for the booming blends made John Bald Jr, son of the founder, decide to install two Coffey stills. In 1877 Carsebridge was even one of the founders of DCL, what is now Diageo. The distillery was closed in 1983 and demolished in 1992. I try a 42 years old of this Lowlander that matured for 42 long years on a sherry cask. It was distilled in 1960 and released by Ian McLeod in 2002. It has the colour of cola!

On the nose, it’s impossible for me to recognize any whisky. Malt nor grain. This is like smelling a glass of fantastically concentrated top shelf oloroso sherry. Raisins, roasted chestnut, prune juice, fig marmalade, dark chocolate, furniture polish and a truckload of cinnamon. But also saddlebags and an umami hint that I cannot quite place. But what a delicious nose indeed.

The body is a bit thin, but luckily it makes up for that in taste. Port, rancio, jelly of strawberries and blackberries, Arabic coffee, cocoa and mocha. Then roasted ham with honey (aha, there is the umami touch) followed by orange and waltnut liqueur. But… where is the whisky? This tastes like a fortified wine from ages gone by. This Carsebridge is totally incognito. I’m not complaining, mind you.

The finish is medium long on more walnut liqueur and cinnamon. Cold coffee at the death.

I would never have called this whisky if tasted blind. Thanks, Manny, this was a true gem!