Country: Scotland
Producer: ImpEx Beverages Inc
Type: Blended
Age: 40
Cask: Sherry Butt
ABV: 45.5%
Proof: 91
Price: $370
Nose: Orange zest heavy glögg, earthy tobacco, milk chocolate, plums, raisins, toasted oak with a hint of smoke
Palate: Creamy with cranberry, cracked black pepper, figs, dates and chocolate
Finish: Long with raisins, milk chocolate, oak tannins and a hint of smoke.
It was at the backyard of our friend Marshall when Chris Uhde from ImpEx Beverages showed up with a bottle of a 40-year-old blended Scotch whisky. Luckily I was with a fresh palate at that moment and after tasting it, I reserved a healthy sample from The ImpEx Collection 40 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky.
You will remember ImpEx Beverages from some of my reviews like M&H; Whisky In Bloom Lightly Peated, Kilchoman 8 Year Old Ruby Port SCWC Pick and Ohishi Whisky 7 Year Old Madeira Finish – SCWC Single Cask.
Impex Collection 40 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky
This cask with cask number 34 (how are you doing Istanbul?), was selected by Sam Filmus, who is the president of ImpEx Beverages and one of the most elegant personalities in the whisky industry in the USA. I had the privilege of meeting him on the first day I moved to the US five years ago, he will always have a special place in my career.
Tell us more about the 40-year-old whisky!
The whisky was distilled in December 1980 and bottled in December 2020. A gorgeous period of 40 years! The blend was aged in a Sherry butt and a final of 525 bottles could be filled in as The ImpEx bottling.
I strongly believe this is a blend by Elixir Distillers and possibly from Marriage of Casks under the Single Malts of Scotland range. I can be awfully wrong though. So let's hop on tasting the whisky.
How Does It Taste?
The nose is just terrific. It is rich, complex, sublime. It is everything you pay the money for. Think of a glass of Glögg (a type of mulled wine) rich with orange zest. Then add earthy tobacco, milk chocolate, plums, raisins and toasted oak. With time leather and a hint of smoke joins the fanfare. A hard-to-find nose! Instead of sniffing it immediately, give it a couple of minutes, you will love it.
The palate is alluring! Creamy with cranberry, cracked black peppers stinging under the tongue, figs and chocolates covering a date!
Finish is long with balanced amount of oak tannins, a hint of smoke, raisins and milk chocolate.
Verdict?
The BEST blended Scotch whisky I had in 2021. The ImpEx Collection is a new line but it is a very successful range with carefully designed bottles. A huge congrats to Sam, Chris and the team!
