Ballantine’s 30yo

Ballantine’s 30yo

Chivas Brothers
Blended malt
Dark gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, orange peel, white grapes, pear drops, ink, coffee, hints of sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, warm, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Coffee, dark chocolate, orange peel, leather, lemon sweets, ink, honey. 
Finish: Long. Barley sugar, dark chocolate, orange peel, leather. 

Comments: 

Lots of bitter sweetness in this blend. It’s very gentle, and perhaps doesn’t taste its age. But there’s a bitter sweet depth to it, lots of leather and dark chocolate. Very nice, I love old blends.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Chivas Regal 18 yo

Chivas Regal 18 yo

Official bottling
Blend
Amber
40% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Leather, peat, tobacco leaf, chocolate, smoke, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, slightly watery. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Leather, tobacco leaf, chocolate, toffee, raisins, hints of coffee. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, smoke, coffee, tobacco leaf. 

Comments: 

Chocolatey, smoky and slightly peaty blend. This has some old Longmorn in it if I'm any judge. It's bitter, but pleasantly so. Good blend, I would drink this in preference to some single malts. Now is that because some single malts have fallen drastically in quality? Hmmm...

Verdict:

I like this.

Chivas Regal 12 yo

Chivas Regal 12 yo

Pernod Ricard
Blended malt
Straw
40% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Prunes, toffee, armagnac, raisins, heather honey, hint of peat.
Mouthfeel: Thin, light body, wetting.
Tasting: Bitter. Coffee, raisins, chocolate, malt, oats, honey.
Finish: Medium. Tabasco sauce, bitter, malty, slightly sour.

Comments:

Pretty tasty blend - I especially like the way it has a tang of brandy, something I associate with decent armagnac, in the nose. Nice oaky raisins in the tasting, and a surprising spicy finish. Definitely a decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.