International Beverage Trading Co Myanmar Grand Royal Whisky Special Reserve

What a weird bottle indeed. Niek and Ilse brought it with them from one of their many travels and allowed me a sample. According to the marketing blurb of the company, this would be a blend consisting of 16 Scottish single malts and grain whisky from both Scotland and Myanmar.

The nose is a strange kind of sweet. Caramel with a chemical sweetness that I cannot quite pinpoint. Honey biscuits, potpourri, physalis and something slightly sour as if from pickled meat. Weird, surely, but far from afwul.

On the palate, it is very very sweet with a sour and bitter touch. But the chemical sweetness is simply to powerful now and it quickly turns quite astringent. Somewhat alcoholic, which betrays a young age.

The finish is fairly long and a bit spicy.

An adventure, but that says it all. But dirt cheap! Oh, well… what did you expect. Thanks, Niek & Ilse, for this treat.