Have The Last Word

If you sniff you lose, or so I discovered during a tasting of a rare and very exceptional Scotch whisky. Yes, it is all of 48 years old, blended and aptly called The Last Drop because when the last of 1347 certified bottles are consumed thats it, there simply is no more.

Recently this London friend brought out one unlabelled miniature for us to taste. A sort of sneak preview. Half was given to guys in Johannesburg, a rather rash thing to do, with the remaining 25ml brought to Cape Town to be shared among five of us. A modest 5ml each was all there was, quite cunning, pushing creative scarcity to such limits. Nevertheless we were the chosen few.

The paucity of the rations I figured needed more sniffing than tasting, and accordingly the professional art of spirit evaluation was necessary, which incidentally requires the nose to do most of the work. So down it beaked into the glass after a little shake and up from the splash came a most sensational aroma, complex, alive, full of intrigue, hints of chocolate, toffee, toast, all enveloped in peat smoke and so gracefully balanced by time. Already I was on a roll.

More sniffing, more amazement and then I got a glint of that deep and warm bronze colour. Time to taste this very expensive liquid. The few drops allocated to me were worth about R100 - a 750ml bottle will retail for R14000. So this was the moment of innocence. Passing judgement on something quite so dear needed to be gracefully strung out at least to honour the grandeur of the liquid.

Amazingly the taste crowned all the perfumery. I had probably sipped about half the 5ml and was now over two moons dreaming about the spice, oakiness, rich biscuits, velvety with a long flavourful finish, its warm character lighting fires all the way down to the belly. I must have closed my eyes in all this anticipating that the second sip would reveal so much more than already discovered.

When I woke up my glass was empty. My last drop had gone to the pleasures of someone else. Clearly this precious whisky had greater appeal on ingestion than gustation. Just then I had learnt the lesson of The Last Drop, before there is no more, so dont nose around too much. Once swallowed always tasted.

Then came the capper. This friend who brought the bottle suggested that if one leaves the liquid in the glass for a while, more profound nuances may emerge to the sensitive palate. Nice. Will I fuss with it so much again? I don’t think so. Being an amateur has advantages.

Clearly too, I had come to appreciate that despite the cost it was a strategy drink to be shared, even though that delectable residue was denied me. At this price you definitely need witnesses. I began to wonder whether this was the best whisky in the world. Judging by the reaction of my tasting colleagues indeed it was. And did my last drop go to a better man? Indeed it had because he promptly ordered ten bottles, a mere R140 000 worth. In the twinkling of an eye, I asked to be the local agent and was brushed aside with the promise of another sample in time to come. Would such sharing and sacrifice bring similar sales? We shall see.

The rareness and genuineness of this very special whisky will take care of whatever amazes one about the price. The coup de maitre is the liberation of this hidden treasure from the dusty chambers of a dunnage warehouse, courtesy of The Last Drop Distillers Ltd. So often these very old casks lie waiting in darkness for the eventual indignity of being blended little by little into younger whiskies for them to claim age. Fragmentation serving the interests of commercialization.

Now this small boutique distilling company brings you the chance to enjoy the real thing, all of it 48 years old. Age alone however does not make the whisky. The rich vein we were privileged to encounter has many other attributes which will be revealed when that next miniature gets to be tasted. I’m going after this agency so watch this space. In the meantime this small batch of barrels is to be bottled this month. For the few, before there is no more.

Find it soon among the hidden gems on www.thelastword.co.za