hs305 scored this whisky 91 points 
[December, 2021] I am not a great fan of grain whisky and if my memory serves me well I never rated one more than 90 points. But (very) old grain whiskies sometimes offer extremely interesting profiles (comparable to high-ester rum) which is why I keep trying them...
...and this methuselah 50-years old displays such a profile perfectly and (most probably) is the first 90+points grain in my book, mainly because of the superb nose which kicked the dram above the 90 points barrier.
...and this methuselah 50-years old displays such a profile perfectly and (most probably) is the first 90+points grain in my book, mainly because of the superb nose which kicked the dram above the 90 points barrier.
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The colour is burnished and the nose offers an interesting profile with tons of grainy esters and the typical glue-alike acetone notes. I like both as they indicate a complex dram, usually. There a dozens of different aromas to discover over time: from fruits to nuts, from waxes to honeys, from fresh-cut lawn to haystacks, from spices to oils, from... All is nicely balanced and without any flaw, provided you do not define the acetonic smell as an off-note (most connoisseurs enjoy it, as far as I know). Great stuff to sniff!
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The taste is based on all these different flavours already encountered in the nose which march across my taste buds as if they celebrate a parade but unfortunately they all intermingle - so it is rather a Mardi Gras parade. Again there is no imbalance or flaw that I can detect but a lot of enjoyable moments pop-up and vanish as long as I chew this dram. Some drops of water release even more aromas in the nose without harming the taste but be careful not to add too much because the dram flattens quickly (no wonder at just 40.4% abv neat). Finally, I do not suggest to add water at all (except for curiosity).
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The initial mouthfeel is warming and nicely coating with a minor drying-astringent impression from the tannins of the wood, but this is absolutely okay for a 50-years old dram and not distracting at all. The finish is of medium length and dries out on tannins towards the end, this time it is somewhat distracting - but hey, what to expect after 50 years in an oak cask?
