IB G&M Speymalt from Macallan 1938 bottled Dec 2004 41.4%

[Nick Brown]

Colour: tawny

Nose: bruised apples, smoky, orange, cloves, dried fruits, honey

Palate: very dry, hot, bitter, mint, gooseberry, caramel, coffee, Crunchie bars (probably Violet Crumble if you are Australian)

Finish: sweet, violets, honey, milk chocolate

I believe this to be the oldest whisky ever bottles - 65 years in all. It's strange, then, that G&M don't make more of the fact. And it fares better than some of the younger G&M Macallans - especially the 50yo (51yo?) 1940 Speymalt. There is still fruit to be had, although the palate has become rather hot, dry and bitter on first taste. It's a great privilege to have tried this whisky; had I not, I'd always have wondered exactly what the oldest whisky in the world tasted like. In fact, it's almost like a dream come true - it is the end of the scale - there simply isn't anything beyond it. But it isn't the best whisky in the world and, given the weight of expectation generated by the age, unless it had been it was bound to disappoint.