The Last Drop Distillers, one of the world’s most exclusive spirits company, is launching the tenth release in its prestigious collection this summer. The 1971 vintage Blended Scotch Whisky is set to sell at £3k – with only 1,352 bottles of this exceptional spirit in existence.
“A relic of times past”, this rare liquid has been through a uniquely extensive three-part maturation process, and is all the more remarkable given that the Single Malts and Grains in the blend were all distilled over the course of the year 1971.
First blended in 1983 as an elegant 12 year old, it has all the hallmarks of the 1970s/80s blending style with a classic, old-fashioned smokiness. The remnant after bottling was refilled into eleven ex-Oloroso Sherry butts where it was aged for a further nine years before a small volume was taken out and bottled as a 21-year-old blend.
What remained was then refilled into nine oak barrels. These nine casks were sent to a traditional dunnage maturation warehouse where they lay for a further 24 years. Towards the end of this third maturation period, the casks were acquired by The Last Drop Distillers’ team who bottled this complex liquid in June 2017 at the mature age of 45 years.
The bottling has been awarded 97 points by leading whisky expert Jim Murray, placing it in the ‘superstar whisky’ category. Describing it as “just mesmerically beautiful”, the whisky has subsequently been awarded 2017 Scotch Blend of the Year and 2017 Blend of the Year (26-50 years).
Speaking on the balance of the liquid, Murray describes how “this one is astonishing because the grain used is just about faultless. The peating levels can be found around about the perfect mark on the dial”. He goes on to note that “the people at The Last Drop continue to unearth whiskies which are truly staggering; absolute marvels of their type”.
Andrew Rankin, the ‘nose’ of The Last Drop Distillers, shares his tasting notes for this rarest of whiskies: “On the nose, sweet honey and vanilla give way to tangy orange and lemon followed by warmer notes of stewed apple and toasted almonds. On the palate, there is a very pleasant fruity sweetness, again followed by a crisp orange and lemon tang and just a hint of freshly cut oak. A taste of chocolate orange and baked fruits with a lingering suggestion of orris root and smoke.”
Every bottle of The Last Drop 1971 vintage Blended Scotch Whisky is scrupulously bottled and sealed by hand with a driven cork dipped in boiling wax. Part of the ‘Finest Aged’ range, each bottle is presented in The Last Drop Distillers forest green leather case with its own 50ml miniature, also included is a certificate of authenticity, a leather-bound tasting booklet and a custom-made stopper.
The release has an RRP of £3k. For more information and stockists, visit lastdropdistillers.com.
