You’ve probably been at a whisky event amongst a bunch of people and you were tasting a whisky from a particular distillery when someone near you remarked, “Ah, it’s not as good as it used to be…their whisky was so much better 20 years ago!” Or words to that effect. It’s a sentiment I’ve heard a lot lately. Mostly because I’m the old fart repeatedly saying it. We all look back on the rare and special whiskies we’ve tried in the past, and it’s hard not to wish that current incarnations were the same.
But I know I’m not alone – it’s an observation shared by many, and particularly amongst some of the pals I’ve been dramming with for 15-20 years. We’re often accused of wearing rose-coloured glasses or getting caught up in sepia-toned memories. That being said, we can be objective about this, and you should perhaps read our feature article, Is whisky better or worse today than it was 20 years ago?
To be clear, I’m not referring to all whisky per se … it would be folly and a blatant mistruth to suggest all whisky was generally better in the past. However, there are some distilleries that, on the whole, are releasing whiskies today that are a far cry from the bottlings they released in years gone by. I hesitate to suggest that their quality has gone downhill, since quality or flavour preference can be a subjective thing.
But, having said that, if you’ve been enjoying single malt whisky for over 20 years, there are a few benchmark drams that some of us hang our hats on. You may have heard of these drams in the past and wondered what all the fuss is about? Why are they so revered?
The fact is, they are snapshot drams – time capsules, if you like – that demonstrate that whisky changes over time…and not always for the better. Whisky brand ambassadors insist that a distillery’s style or flavour doesn’t change over the years, but that’s marketing spin at best and, at worst, a downright lie. A distillery’s whisky will change over the years and we know the reasons why: Production methods change (e.g. direct heating gives way to indirect heating of stills); raw ingredients change (e.g. the varieties of barley change as producers seek increasing yields – possibly at the expense of flavour); and the abundance and quality of maturing wood changes (e.g. the availability of quality sherry casks).
The following is a short list of some of these revered, benchmark drams that the long-term drinkers look back on fondly and lament their passing. The cost of these whiskies on the secondary market makes them an expensive prospect if you’re wanting an unopened bottle for your shelf at home, but there’s a good number of noted whisky bars around the world that typically stock and sell these malts by the dram – a far more attractive option for your wallet. If you should happen to stumble across a bar that offers these whiskies by the dram, then invest in your tastebuds and experience what all the fuss was about….
Aberlour a’Bunadh – Batch 6
Aberlour a’Bunadh has been a staple of the whisky scene for over 20 years now, showcasing how good whisky can be when it’s filled into quality oloroso sherry casks and bottled at cask-strength. One of the great appeals of a’Bunadh is the fact that Aberlour identifies and distinguishes each batch with its own incrementing number. The latest release at the time of writing is Batch 63. Whilst there is little to distinguish or differentiate between two or three batches (in other words, Batch 46 won’t taste too wildly different from Batch 45 or 47), it’s a very different story when you compare across a wider spectrum. Compare Batch 55 with Batch 10, and you won’t believe they both came from the same distillery!
For many long-time drinkers and observers, Batch 6 remains the defining benchmark or pinnacle of a’Bunadh. Released in 1999, it rivals the best of what Glenfarclas and Glendronach had on offer at the time, and some even felt it was the equal of the famous Macallan Cask Strength from that era.
The a’Bunadh has suffered the same fate that’s impacted the other respected sherry-dominant distilleries such as Macallan and Glenfarclas – namely, a surge in demand and popularity that has coincided with a massive decline in the quantity (and, arguably, quality) of available sherry casks. Early batches of a’Bunadh were said to have been matured in 1st fill oloroso casks, whereas an objective tasting of current releases suggests that either refill casks might now make up a healthy portion of the vatting, or that the proportion of European oak used has greatly reduced relative to the proportion of American oak. If you’re keen to explore this further, check out our feature article, Glenfarclas 105 versus Aberlour a’Bunadh
If you’re a fan of a’Bunadh, track down Batch 6 and discover how and why this expression earned its reputation.
Lagavulin 16yo (any release bottled prior to 2010)
Of those that started drinking whisky 15-20 years ago, it’s ridiculous how many state that Lagavulin 16yo was the first single malt they ever tried. (It’s a story I’m repeatedly told by people who come up to me at tastings I host). Brought to prominence by virtue of Diageo’s “Classic Malts” range, Lagavulin 16yo was an exceptional whisky that introduced many to the charms of Islay. But the Lagavulin 16yo of the 1990’s and early 2000’s was a very different whisky to that which you’ll taste in today’s bottles.
The primary reason for this is the change that was made to the malt’s peating levels, which in 1994 was reduced from 50ppm down to 35ppm. (If you’re unclear about the significance of ppm, you should read this article here). Fast forward the 16 years of maturation, and thus 2010 was the last year that the 16yo was released with the higher phenols in the malt. In the immediate years after 2010, the releases were carefully vatted with ever-reducing levels of the older, heavier peated stock so that the change would not be immediately obvious from one production batch to the next. However, the higher ppm whisky would eventually run out (or be held back in cask to be released as older whisky in the future), leaving the 16yo release with spirit distilled entirely from 35ppm malt. Find a bottle released prior to 2010 and you’ll discover a dram that is drier, smokier, and peatier than the current offerings. You’ll also discover why so many have a sentimental place in their heart for Lagavulin 16yo. And, if you can find a bottle or even just a dram of the 1980 or 1981 vintage Distillers Edition, you’ll taste a little piece of heaven.
Ardbeg 1974 Provenance
Ardbeg will always have its fans, but – like Macallan – they tend to fall into generational groupings. There are those that remember the Ardbegs distilled prior to the distillery’s closure in 1983 and those that only know the Ardbegs distilled after Glenmorangie brought the distillery back to life in 1997. (I’ll conveniently ignore the short and sporadic periods of production between 1989 and 1996).
When Glenmorangie acquired the distillery in 1997, they inherited a pot-holed inventory of stock that had large gaps due to the many years of silence between 1983 and 1997. This included the casks of stock distilled in the early 1980’s that were largely unpeated. However, many of the whiskies from the 1970’s proved to be absolutely stunning, and there were several retail releases as well as many Ardbeg Committee releases of vintage-dated whiskies that demonstrated that Ardbeg was making exceptionally delicious spirit in the 70’s. The Ardbeg 1977 remains a highlight for many; 1978 was also a great year; and the original release of “Lord of the Isles” also confirmed that this was one very special distillery.
However, the 1974 release – tagged Provenance – carries a bit more weight and sentimental value. (There were a surprising number of OB Ardbeg single cask releases from 1974, but Provenance – a vatting of several casks – is the main attraction.) 1974 is a key date on Ardbeg’s timescale as this was the last year that Ardbeg did all its own malting on site. Commentators and contemporaries of the time have remarked that there was admittedly an occasional inconsistency to the maltings, with some batches being more heavily peated than others. The 1974 Provenance – released in 1997 as a 23yo – is thus the last release to feature 100% Ardbeg malt made on site. After 1974, increased demand required the distillery to start combining its homemade malt with malt sourced from offsite, and the maltings closed for good in 1981 – heralding in a significant change to the flavour and peat profile of all subsequent Ardbeg distillates.
The late 1990’s and early 2000’s were great years to be an Ardbeg fan, as Glenmorangie released many of the iconic bottlings in those years – all at highly affordable prices. If you can taste a dram of the 1974 or, failing that, the 1977, you’ll taste a very different Ardbeg to the releases of today.
Highland Park 12yo (any bottling from the 1990’s)
Long before Highland Park’s marketing team decided to play the viking angle, Highland Park was once one very highly respected whisky. “The greatest all-rounder in the world of malt whisky” wrote Michael Jackson in his Malt Whisky Companion, and when you tasted the 12yo in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, it was hard to argue with him. A little bit of peat and smoke; a decent dollop of oloroso sherry; the perfect balance of malt and oak; and that alluring heather honey note made the Highland Park releases from that era nothing short of spectacular – the 18yo and 25yo expressions were also class leaders.
In 1996, Highland Park and Macallan came under the common ownership of Highland Distillers, which would later be absorbed into the Edrington Group. It’s been speculated that one of the reasons for Highland Park’s change (some would say decline) in flavour profile is that Edrington began directing its better-quality sherry casks to Macallan at Highland Park’s expense, but that’s drawing a long bow. A more rational observation is that Highland Park simply became yet another distillery to suffer from the shortage of good quality sherry casks, at a time when its own popularity was on the rise. Once it came under the ownership of Edrington, there’s little doubt that Highland Park’s production regimen and supply chain of materials would also have been tweaked to take advantage of broader company policies, efficiencies, and economies of scale.
Regardless of the reasons, the irrefutable fact is that tasting a bottle of Highland Park 12yo from the 1990’s – even into the early 2000’s – is a very different experience to tasting a Highland Park 12yo bottled today. And I’m bold enough and brave enough to assert that the bottlings from 20 years ago were, quite simply, better. Significantly better.
1960’s Bowmore
Stanley P. Morrison purchased Bowmore in 1963 and the following year acquired what must surely have been the finest parcel of sherry casks ever seen in the industry. The sherry casks laid down in that year would go on to contribute to some of the most legendary bottlings of all time – including the famous Black Bowmore. There were originally three commercial releases of Black Bowmore. (A little known fact: The name “Black Bowmore” was actually coined by The Gillies Club, Australia, believed to be the world’s oldest single malt appreciation club. The club bottled two private casks of 1964 Bowmore for its members as a 17yo and a 21yo in 1981 and 1985 respectively. They gave them the name Black Bowmore due to the insanely dark colour. Brian Morrison of the distillery was also a member of The Gillies Club, courtesy of time spent in Australia and, when the distillery bottled its commercial version a few years later, he was given permission to re-use the name.) The first edition was bottled in 1993 as a 29yo, and was still on the shelves of several liquor stores in Australia in 1999 for around $200. Today, bottles change hands for prices north of $20,000! The Bowmore Bicentenary (there were several releases for different markets) bottled in 1979 from the same parcel of 1964 casks is another worthy pursuit. There are several of us who vigorously debate which is the better dram between the Bowmore Bicentenary and the Black Bowmore, giving you some indication as to the quality of both.
Both whiskies – and many other Bowmores from the 1960’s – strongly exhibit what Bowmore became famous for: An extraordinary tropical fruitiness. Together with the peat, smoke and the influence of the sherry, these old Bowmores exhibit hints of mango, stonefruit and – to my palate – red currants. All traits that you won’t find in today’s Bowmores. And we’ll save the discussion about FWP Bowmores for another day.
Macallan 18yo (any vintage released prior to 2002)
Any noob getting into whisky today must wonder about Macallan’s aura and wonder why its whiskies are, generally and on the whole, more expensive than other brands. Whisky & Wisdom has written much about Macallan and its changes and evolution over the years, so we won’t repeat it all here – but you may wish to read The highs and lows of Macallan or Macallan – The past, present, and future collide. In the meantime, suffice it to say, much of Macallan’s esteem and legend was built on the whiskies that were released in the 1980’s, 1990’s and just into the early 2000’s. For many, the annual vintage release of Macallan 18yo was considered the pinnacle of single malt whisky. The 1984 vintage (released in 2002) was the last true vintage of its era. Macallan subsequently released two more year-stamped 18 year olds with 1985 and 1986 on the label (released in 2003 and 2004 respectively), but both those releases were vattings with casks from older years, rather than true vintages. By 2003, Macallan was a victim of its own success and could no longer keep up with demand. Coupled with the rapid decline in the availability of sherry casks, Macallan had to make big changes and 2004 saw the emergence of, first, Elegancia, and then the release of the Fine Oak range. Macallan had built its name and reputation on the back of maturing its whiskies exclusively in oloroso sherry casks and yet, suddenly, its whiskies were forced to change.
Macallan’s portfolio today is a confusing mix of different ranges and names, all using different permutations of 1st fill, 2nd fill, and refill casks across both European and American oak, and utilising casks that previously served both the bourbon and sherry industries. Yes, there is still a line of Macallan that is matured exclusively in sherry, but it comes with a price tag and – in the opinion of many – is not a patch on the whiskies they released 20 years ago. Some put this down to the cessation of Golden Promise barley; others to the decreasing quality of sherry casks (including the presence of sulphur); and others simply shrug and accept that as Macallan has had to increase production and volume to meet demand, quality must naturally have a corresponding decline.
Regardless, if you’re a fan of sherry-matured whisky and can find a dram of Macallan 18yo back when Golden Promise ruled the roost, you’re in for a treat. And if that 18yo should happen to be one of the famed Gran Reserva vintages between 1979 and 1982 (released from 1997-2000) – that’s about as good as whisky got. Have a dram and discover why older drinkers can’t shut up about what Macallan used to be.
—————-
Now before readers assume this author is wantonly harassing modern bottlings and asserting that today’s whisky isn’t a patch on yesteryear’s drams, let’s restore some balance and recognise that a number of brands and distilleries are releasing whiskies today that significantly outpunch their counterparts from decades gone by. Glenmorangie and Glenfiddich are two high-profile examples. Tobermory/Ledaig is another, as are Loch Lomond and Glen Scotia. For these distilleries, much of their improvement is due to their wood regime and the simple fact they’ve invested in and filled their spirit into quality casks. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, some of these distilleries were still particularly focussed on fillings for the blenders, but as their own-brand single malt profile has grown (or, perhaps more accurately, as their owners have sought to see their profile grow), they’ve been obliged to lift their game.
But the main thrust of this article remains: Make it your objective to track down any of the six abovementioned rare and special whiskies. Not only will your tastebuds thank you but, the next time you’re at a tasting and some old fart says, “It’s not as good as it used to be”, you can nod and sagely agree.
Cheers,
AD
PS…you might also like this article: Is whisky better or worse today than it was 20 years ago?
