Scotch Whisky Review #447: Berry Bros & Rudd Pure Single Malt (1964)

Distillery: Unknown but rumored to be Bowmore.

Bottler: Berry Bros & Rudd.

Region: Unknown.

Age: Distilled in 1964 and bottled 1975.

ABV: 43.0%

Price: Shared by /u/KissMeElon.

This dram is the twenty-second of 2022’s Christmas Countdown! Whiskies from previous years can be found here.

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Nose: it’s subtle and a bit shy. It has a musty, old note similar to an older Bowmore. Ribena. Blackcurrant. Black berry.

The nose here starts off shy and subtle. When things get going, it has a musty note very similar to what I’ve had on other old Bowmore. Blackcurrant in the form of Ribena and some blackberries warp things up.

Palate: It is nicely sweet and fruity. Bosc pears, more of the Ribena, and blackberry and blackcurrant preserves make are what stand out.

Finish: Pretty short, not a whole lot going on.

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Conclusion: With this bottling being quite old itself, I doubt we’ll ever get a straight answer as to what distillery it came from. I would not be surprised in the slightest if it were a Bowmore. It really seems to fit in with other Bowmore from that era with all sorts of musty notes in the nose and lots of blackcurrant. I wish there was a little more going on, it is a touch simplistic and straightforward, but it is a delicious whisky as it is.

Final Score: 82.

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Scotch Whisky Review #447, Islay Review #74, Whisky Network Review #604

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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 and I will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection if feasible.
• 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product and I’m likely wanting a bottle or two.
• 80-84: Quite good, pleasant overall though there is usually a few things that could be improved still.
• 75-79: Good, enjoyable to drink but ultimately flawed.
• 70-74: Alright, solid and 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.