1970s Chivas Regal 12 YO 4cl

Colour: Full gold.

Nose: A rather an elegant smokiness, notes of roasted chestnuts, vanilla pods, old orange liqueur, then a grassier phase (straight grass but also ‘dry salad’ -rocket and so on- or raw asparagus) and finally all things leathery and ‘globally phenolic’. I’ll spare you the list.

Mouth: very creamy, round, polished, fruity (strawberry cake, quinces), with a lot of vanilla (custard, cake, crème) and oranges in all their states. There’s maybe less peat than in other old blends, but there’s another kind of smokiness instead. More like roasted nuts, dark praline and toffee, heavy liquorice and so on. You got it, I think this is very good.