Blends | Whisky Lady

After the stunning That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s 10th anniversary 45-year Blended Grain sampled in Paris, I didn’t know what to expect with their other older blends on offer at the London Whisky Show. However, we couldn’t pass up trying both:

Cutler & Stubbs 42-year Blend (2022) Batch 1, 44.1% (TBWC) Bottle 28 out of 490, retails for approx £225
St. Thomas 32-year Blend (2022) Batch 1, 40.1% (TBWC) 398 bottles, retails for approx £105

Starting 1st with the Cutler & Stubbs 42 year Blend Batch 1, 44.1%, our quick sniff and swish left the following impression:

Nose – Caramel, rich, loads of stewed fruits, vanilla and cream
Palate – Gorgeous all over, dessert in a glass, balanced
Finish – Beautiful and smooth

Though not the same, it reminded me a bit of the Hedges & Butler Royal 21-year we sampled earlier in the year – a blend from the 1970s/early 1980s. It had a classic style, which was mirrored by the artwork – with the TBWC humor – more in keeping with something from 50+ years ago.

We then moved on to St. Thomas 32-year Blend which revealed some interesting elements:

Nose – Aniseed, wood chased by caramel cream
Palate – Caraway and something else combined with malty pudding
Finish – Subtle and soft, melted fudge

This one goes into the category of needing more time to sit back and relax, while it tells its story. I was quite sure while sipping it, that my quick scribbles from our brief tasting reflected only a portion of what this blend brings.

Both whiskies were a cheeky nod to days gone by… when blends were king and single malts secondary. And a strong reminder to pay attention to older blends!

If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on: