I’m not sure when this Ambassador Deluxe Scotch 25 Years comes from, but it has an old taste and aroma to it. There’s that Old Bottle Effect – musty dusty quality – to it that signifies it’s been in the bottle for at least 10 years – the amount of time it takes glass leeching to start according to Baccardi. Though the sample does says Bloch Brothers which means at the latest it’s from the mid 50s.
So what’s the effect of that glass leeching and what does it exactly do to the whisky and what could it do to us? It’s hard to say. The obsession with drinking “the olde stuff” is a fairly modern concept. That’s why bottles like this and the Ambassador Deluxe sat on the shelves for years and years. No one cared until now and now we’re the last generation(s) drinking this stuff till the next wane in interest and resulting glut hits the market.
Ambassador Deluxe Scotch 25 years Info
Region: Scotland
Blender: Bloch Brothers
Mashbill: Single Malt + Grain Whisky
Cask: ex-Bourbon & ex-Sherry
Age: 25 Years
ABV: 43%
Price: NA – Auction, Specialty Store or Private Seller
Ambassador Deluxe Scotch 25 years Review
EYE
Ruddy caramel
NOSE
OBE, dried strawberries, creamy vanilla, malt, taffy, olde candy, dried fruit, malty sweetness and a light spice. Quite a pleasant aroma.
PALATE
Butterscotch, smoke, OBE, dried dark fruit, cinnamon, malty sweet, acetone and a bit of cola. Nothing wrong with it aside from the acetone, just tremendously light.
FINISH
Medium fade of stale olde candy, stale spice, stale nuts, stale coconut and smoke.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Not fully balanced, medium body and chalky feel.
OVERALL
The last impression of the Ambassador Deluxe Scotch 25 years is of a stale whisky. I didn’t know that was possible. Musty and old (OBE) yeah, that’s to be expected, but not stale and that quality gets worse instead of better with air. One of the few times I’m glad I only have a sample and not a whole bottle.
SCORE: 77/100 (C+)
