Old Eight Brazilian Blended Whisky

Old Eight is a blend that appeared on the Brazilian market for the first time in 1965. It is still very popular in the 5th largest nation on earth. Hotel and restaurant owner Fabrizio Fasana created his popular blend with 8 year old Scottish malt and 8 year old Brazilian grain. Strangely enough the whisky, which currently is owned by the Gruppo Campari, is bottled at 39% instead of the (in Europe) required minimum of 40%. Not a lot is happening on the nose. Loads of alcohol, burnt caramel, clear hints of young grain and a hint of… well, is that woodsmoke or peat? Hard to say. But the nose does nothing for me. It is very rough and alcoholic on the palate with loads of caramel and a very bitter touch. It seems clear that the smokiness is the result of some peaty whisky in the mix. But that does not make it any good. Au contraire. This is what I would describe as bottom shelf stuff. The finish remains bitter, but is mercifully short. Nah, even if you are on vacation over there, better look out for something else. Thanks for the interesting sample, Marc. The bottle is not available in our neck of the woods (which is a good thing), but if you are on vacation in Brasil, you can put it in your suitcase for a mere 8 EUR.