Blended Scotch Whisky | 45% ABV

Taking the Red Pill

The pandemic has brought hardship and emotional strain to many households around the world, while we’re still seeking the red pill to catapult us out of this vicious cycle. Perceived value and pricing are becoming increasingly important when making our purchasing decisions with inflation on the rise.

Anything limited or exclusive is being snapped up by both new drinkers and seasoned whisky fans, with some seemingly more interested in making a quick profit than actually consuming the goods. The lack of concerts and other scalping opportunities across the economy are attracting a new breed of whisky speculator to an already growing market. Their scattergun approach and lack of insight has led to some spectacular steals at auction with a new genre of bargain hunters forming – canny individuals that don’t dress in dusty suits and spend their spare time rummaging through ancient cabinets.

A more sinister effect of our lockdown situation has been the rapid rise in deaths related to alcohol and drugs – yes, alcohol is a drug – which, unsurprisingly, the industry doesn’t want to highlight; rather focusing on limiting or reducing taxes. There are so many online news articles on this subject that you can only help but feel we’ve just stumbled across the tip of the iceberg. The particular BBC story highlighted only discusses deaths for those seeking treatment – those brave enough to face their addiction. While this site is about whisky, the lifestyle and enjoyment of, we will always temper such activities with a sense of moderation.

Alcohol and the pandemic remains a subject that will linger and will feature in the coming years. Just consider when the industry is asking for support of another don’t tax us campaign for scotch or another drink. Pause for a moment and evaluate who are the real winners and victims in such a situation.

In Scotland, we are fairly unique in having a minimum price for alcohol following the introduction of the Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012 by the Scottish Parliament. Bargains are potentially less evident on the shelves at times, although a visit to the supermarket might suggest otherwise at times. The impact of such legislation is still being debated with a Welsh study suggesting an 8% drop in consumption in Scotland, while a more recent project suggests there has been little impact on alcohol-related crime. There is also a growing belief that the pandemic and inflation have blunted the effectiveness of the legislation and the minimum pricing should be increased from 50p to 65p; a new battleground for 2022?

There seems to be too much going on to settle on one side completely. Yes, the waters have been muddied by the effects of the pandemic (social and economic) but there remains an issue pre-pandemic that still exists and one that ideally should be tackled through education and legislation.

Finding Value Elsewhere

Value in whisky is potentially harder to uncover nowadays if you don’t linger on auction sites as a bottom feeder. Even then, you have to remember purchasing fees and shipping.

Plus, my own pet hate of insurance. Parcel insurance for shipping is a costly extra and outlandishly priced by some auction houses. All of these extra insurances are great sources of revenue for those that provide them. The true cost of travel insurance is far less than you’d believe and this can also be applied to phone, car and even postal. When you’re being quoted a fee that’s more than the cost of postage itself, this should highlight something is untoward.

When we’re confronted by potential value it pays to step back for a moment. We’ve all become too eager and used to the chase. Acquiring our own individual whisky lochs that sit across households. Yes, at times the fastest finger is required but it also pays to digest the details. The release we’re reviewing today (finally) comes from the independent bottler Bartels. It’s well worth being on their mailing list as they bottle a variety of whiskies with a regular emphasis on affordability. So, when their pre-Christmas releases were revealed, this 14 year old blended scotch whisky was included for a bargain price of just £28.

Bottled at 46% strength, this was originally distilled on 16th April 2007, before being bottled on 15th November 2021. Cask A453/4 produced an unstated number of bottles with the only clue to its origin being the mention of the Famous House. This translates into the home of the Famous Grouse and Edrington. It all makes sense as we are seeing more of these casks appearing via independent bottlers and they consist of a vatting of Edrington distilleries with an unknown purpose. Some may have been intended for a blended scotch product, or an edition that never made it to market. Their ages can range from some considerably matured whiskies in their 30s to more modest teenager affairs like we have today. It’s also worth remembering that on some of these casks, the age quoted might only be the youngest whisky present within the blend. However, in our example, we have a distillation date so this seems unlikely to be the case.

These Edrington casks often represent value combined with a worthwhile drinking experience. A handful of the older expressions have been more grain orientated, while the youngsters have offered a higher malt ratio.

A fun aspect – albeit pointless – is to speculate what distilleries feature within such casks. There is a high probability that the grain component comes from the North British distillery in Edinburgh, which Edrington co-owns with Diageo and generally is a great tasty grain. The malt distilleries could feature the Macallan, Highland Park, Glenrothes, Tamdhu and Glenturret. The fact that you will never know is reflected in the price.

Review

Bartel’s 14yo 2021 Release, 45% ABV
£28

Nose

Immediately toffee and Rich Tea biscuits followed by red apples, leather and faded orange. Glazed cherries briefly appear before a pleasant floral quality steps in, with dried moss, a hint of grain and pencil shavings rounding off an engaging nose.

Palate

Nicely sherried, subtle and not forceful. It feels like a good sherry influence, not the bludgeoned 2-note wood characteristics we’re seeing more of nowadays. A pleasant enough texture with some stickiness but not much of a finish at all. Nutty, cereals and more red apples. A hint of old elastic bands that soon goes leaving vanilla, poached plums, raisins and toffee. 

The Dregs

This offers very good value. There are no complaints whatsoever and it isn’t grain forward either. The whisky does feel a little stifled in places, dampened down to a degree. But it's only £28! If anything, it reminds me of the 1980s Bell's bottlings that featured a quality sherry influence and made for enjoyable everyday dramming. One to pour on social evenings (remember those?) and take confidence in its qualities. Now, where is that red pill?

Score: 6/10

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