Tweeddale 14 Year Old Blend Batch 4

The Tweedale Blend is the resurrection of an old blended Scotch from over 70 years ago. All of the Tweedale blends come from nine single casks (one grain, eight single malts) and blended 50% grain and 50% malt. They are non chill filtered and always bottled at 46% ABV.

The website gives lots of terrific info about each bottling. The particulars of Batch Four: the grain is 16 years old from a refill hogshead. Seven of the malts are 14-21 years old, with the core malt being a Lowland matured for 14 years in an Islay cask. It is non-coloured. Yield is 1,420 bottles. Thank you to Johanne McInnis (WhiskyLassie) for this sample.

The colour is a very pale gold. On the nose, crisp, juicy malt, light honey and tropical fruits (banana, papaya and also lemon) all nestled in an herb garden. Only the faintest hint of oak. Some peat in the background. Very nice but not terribly distinctive. Water only serves to weaken things.

On the palate, there is an oily mouth coating, and the taste is very malty (which I love) with barley sugar, buttered toast and brine. More bananas (greener this time) and some salt-and-pepper spice. Pralines. Very approachable, quite easy to drink - with a drop of water adding a little spice (but not much else).

The finish has a bit of heat to it, tingling the mouth and revealing cotton candy and milk chocolate. This is a lovely Scotch but I seem to remember liking Batch Two more (which was 12 years old to Batch Four's 14). Some complexity and spice, with lovely soft fruity notes but ultimately this is not very memorable.

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