Black & White is an old time blend that was once a lot more popular. It has since been regulated to the bottom shelf, but used to be quite well liked. According to the internet the original concept behind the blend was to use higher quality grain whisky to make a better whisky. I don’t know if this concept is still applied but it’s a nice bit of trivia.

So this was one of the more interesting things to show up at Whisky Live’s VIP area. It was a bottle from either the early 90’s or late 80’s, before the whisky boom when all the good whisky stocks were going into blends. The mid-90’s was also when I had my first sips of whisky so I have a bit of a soft spot for blends from that period.

Aged 3 years * . 43%ABV

*For lack of age statement

Nose: Rich, creamy caramel pudding. Camphor. Parsley. Bit of a grainy note. Vanilla. Woodspice.

Palate: Chewy wood. Acacia sap. Brown sugar. Lilac. Honey.

Finish: Short. Honey. Cereals. Maple syrup.

Would I buy this: Yes

Would I order this in a bar: Yes

Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Yes

VFM: N/A

This was so far removed from the Black & White of today. It was really rich and quite full bodied, I event went back for seconds when I saw the bottle being neglected. It was also bottled at 43%, quite high for the day. Definitely enjoyable.