Skene Black Tartan 88 31yo
Blended Scotch Whisky | 48% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Not your everyday blend
I own this whisky for a stupid and arbitrary reason.
After all, what could be more arbitrary than the year of my birth? I had no say in it any more than you or anyone else for that matter - unless of course you’re one of my parents.
It’s little more than a statement of vanity. And yet, I love it. I don’t usually have much to say about the packaging associated with any whisky. I certainly like to think I appreciate good design, a shapely bottle or a beautifully crafted label, but I generally don’t find it that interesting to talk or write about. However, in this case I’ll make an exception, because if not for the big 88 emblazoned on the front, I likely wouldn’t have bothered with this in the first place.
I’m a child of 1988 and I’m not the first, and won’t be the last, to snag a birth year bottle of whisky. There’s just something about drinking a whisky as old as you are, although I’m hard pressed to define exactly what the draw is. Some sort of vague romance about the idea that every day of my life, this cask was sitting quietly in a warehouse waiting to complete its journey into glass, through the postal service and into my hand.
I do want to return to the packaging for a moment because I find it quite fascinating – an amusing juxtaposition of crisp design and the most egregious advertising nonsense. There’s the huge ‘88’ lettering which first drew me in, but I also like the ‘Black Tartan’ lettering and the general minimalism of the card box front. The fake velvet on the interior holds the bottle securely; functional but understated. The bottle itself also has a cracking mega-cork, not dissimilar to the Signatory cask strength range.
However, on the rear of the box is a different story. There’s a story of sorts in which we’re told of a supposed visit to Scotland by George IV where his only focus was to hunt down quality whisky - something he ultimately achieved by raiding someone’s private store. Even the most brief internet search suggests that, while the visit was real, the motivations for it were nothing to do with the water of life and far more about bolstering the Union and boosting George’s popularity in Scotland.
Playing fast and loose with historical truth in advertising copy – who’d have thought? There’s a weak attempt to link the story to the whisky in question being fit for kings but by now I’m losing interest and would rather get stuck into a dram.
Review
Skene Black Tartan 88, 31yo Blended Scotch Whisky, 48% ABV
£248 paid
We’ve got advertising jabber on the box but what do we have in the glass? This is widely believed to be a blend of Edrington malts, filled into the same hogshead and matured for 31 years before bottling in 2020. Other reviewers have noted a possible three-way composition of Macallan, Highland Park and Glenrothes. We don’t know what the natural cask strength was, but presumably it’s been stretched out a little by watering down to 48%.
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Not your everyday blend
Nose
A little herbal up front, thyme and plenty of menthol. Dry spices, cassia bark and dried orange peel. There’s a fleeting fizziness which, with the orange, recalls orangeade. Rich polished wood and faded vanilla. A beautiful sweetness underlies it all: creamy white chocolate and mangoes (the proper orange ones that you can only get in Glasgow at certain times of year, and only from Asian markets).
Palate
It starts on the slightly bitter dry spices and orange bitters from the nose before the sweetness comes through with creamy white chocolate. The spiciness is louder and I’ve lost some of the fruitiness that abounds on the nose. There’s a nice light but oily texture. It finishes faintly drying with menthol. I find it at its best without water.
The Dregs
I felt a twinge of almost nerves when first trying this. I think it was a combination of being by some way the most expensive whisky I’ve owned and an accompanying pressure that I must enjoy it enough to justify this fact. In the end I have no regrets. I state as much and am reminded by my other half that’s easy for me to say since I didn’t pay for it (indeed, it was a very generous birthday gift). Fair point.
Nonetheless, this was and is a lovely drop and is no worse for being a blended malt. You can quibble with the price, certainly if you compare with past bottlings of Edrington-sourced blended malt such as the Old Perth range from Morrison & Mackay to name just one. Something about this having surpassed the 30-year mark, though, makes me feel that the premium is easier to swallow, even though age is just a number and doesn’t guarantee quality.
I go back to this ‘88’ now and again when I have plenty time to sit and enjoy my dram of choice and, so far, it’s holding up well. Whether I’ll replace it I’m not so sure, but it’s worth pointing out it’s still available to buy at the same retail price as it was listed at in 2020. It remains pricey but, against the background inflation of recent times, you could argue better value than ever.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EMc
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