North British 1988 30yo (A.D. Rattray)

Today’s whisky is a Single Grain from the North British Distillery in the lowlands of Scotland. It was distilled in 1988, and has been bottled in 2018 by A.D. Rattray. It was aged on a single sherry butt.

This is part of a series of blind tastings from the “The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 5th Edition” advent calendar. I do not know what is in the calendar, so every one of these reviews is 100% no prior knowledge.

1. Macduff 2003 14yo (Single Cask Nation)
2. Wemyss Wooden Chest
3. Lost Distillery Company Auchnagie Classic
4. Glen Moray 2008 9yo #5764 (Secret Spirits)
5. Craigellachie 12yo 2006 Cask Strength (Secret Spirits)
6. Exclusive Malts Islay Sherry Cask (Laphroaig)
7. Adelphi Breath of Speyside 2006 (11yo)
8. Balmenach 2004 13yo (Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask)
9. Glen Moray 2007 10yo (A.D. Rattray)
10. Royal Brackla 2006 11yo (Secret Spirits)
11. Wemyss Delicious Burst
12. Lost Distillery Company Stratheden Classic
13. Auchinderom - Peated Glenglassaugh (Malt Whisky Company)
14. Knockdhu 2009 9yo (A.D. Rattray)
15. Caol Ila 2009 9yo (Secret Spirits)
16. Wemyss Nectar Grove
17. Glentauchers 2008 10yo (Secret Spirits)
18. Glenallachie 2009 9yo (Secret Spirits)
19. Williamson (Laphroaig) 2005 13yo (A.D. Rattray)
20. Stones of Stenness Orkney Aged 18yo (Single Cask Nation)
21. Inchgower 1995 21yo (Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask)
22. Towiemore Archivist (Lost Distillery Company)
23. North British 1988 30yo (A.D. Rattray)
24. Inchmurrin 1996 21yo (Secret Spirits)
25. Glen Grant 1988 30yo (A.D. Rattray)

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Distiller: North British Distillery
Distilled: 1988
Bottled: 2018
ABV: 58.5%
Age: 30yo
Cask type: Sherry butt
Source: Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar
Setting: Blind

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Nose: Acetone, wood varnish, powerful wood notes, mothballs, basement funk, rubber. This is one hell of an interesting nose, and reminds more of a funky caribbean rum than a scotch.
Palate: It doesn’t let up at all here, punches hot and hard with all that acetone, funky decaying wood and mothball funk. There is some sugar and cream in the back but it is veiled.
Finish: The funk cloud lays thick, but slowly lifts to bring out the custard, demerara sugar and pear laying beneath.
Overall: This is a pretty unique pour for me, I can’t say I’ve ever tasted anything like it. It sort of tastes like a 50/50 blend of an old Uitvlugt rum and one of the Rhetoric series bourbons. Crazy stuff, and damn interesting. It will need multiple sessions to dissect, and that’s something I love in scotch. Can’t wait to find out what it is.
Rank: 7
Reveal: Grain whisky! That explains why the profile was so different to everything else in this calendar so far. Certainly explains the Rhetoric likeness for me. I certainly did like it, but there is a ton of raw wood influence, I am a sucker for that.