Scotch Whisky Review #360: Alex Ferguson & Co. Liqueur Specialité Scotch Whisky of Great Age

Distillery: Blend.

Bottler: Alex Ferguson & Co.

Region: Blend of “Highland Malt and Scotch Grain Whiskies”.

Age: NAS. Estimated to have been bottled in the 1930s.

ABV: 86.80 proof or 40.0%.

Cost: $18/oz.

Color: 1.4, Tawny.

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Nose: (according to the wife) Tapioca pearls are what jump out immediately. A couple of tea notes, black tea and a roast corn tea specifically, follow along.

Palate: It’s quite light in flavor and a rather easy drinker. There’s a bit of generic whisky flavor, largely with a grain sweetness. Roast corn tea from the nose sticks around as does a bit of an orange jelly candy.

Finish: Medium in length. For the first few sips, the finish was quite creamy which almost gave the whole package a boba milk tea vibe. With more sips though, the cream dissipated and light oriental medicine notes come through. Ginseng and red ginseng specifically were what were noticeable.

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Conclusion: On the 80th birthday of the more famous Alex Ferguson of Glasgow, it only felt fitting to try this old blend carrying the same name. By best estimation, this blend by Alex Ferguson & Co. comes from the 1930s and really the only remarkable things about it are that it has survived so long and the name. The whisky itself is quite simple and comes across as a rather generic blend. I have no way of knowing if that’s just a byproduct of time or if that’s simply how it would’ve been before, but I would guess it’s probably a bit of both. I’m glad to have been able to try it, especially since it is easily the oldest distillate I’ve ever had. Happy 80th Birthday Sir Alex and Happy New Year to anyone who is reading!

Final Score: 74.

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Scotch Whisky Review #360, Blended Review #16, Whisky Network Review #510

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Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.