Caledonian 'The Cally' 1974 40 Year Old Special Releases

Tasting notes by Billy A

• Nose

  Freshly varnished wood, model glue and polish – classic old grain whisky character. Behind those lighter notes sits a mature dram: salted caramel and vanilla toffee spiced up with freshly cracked black pepper.

• Palate

  Rich and thick toffee, more sea salt, and baked apples studded with raisins. As it develops in the glass, concentrated fruity flavours start to come to the front – orange squash (with real fruit) and unsweetened blackcurrant juice.

• Finish

  Lots of spice – liquorice root and cinnamon – fading through nutmeg to a gently tannic and pleasantly sour end.

• Comment

  A well-looked-after grain whisky – at this age, the cask influence can often become too much, but this whisky shows the toffee character of American oak and well-balanced spice without going too far.