Malinos, I get the bitter notes also unfortunately my tasting notes are not showing so putting them here again.

Nose  Plum, sour apple, polish, candle wax, some meat notes and after a while there is something fishy in the mix, like a plate of sardines in tomato sauce but in the next room (Jesus, I cannot believe I just said that), a distant fishiness???   Yeah, crab, brine, but definite seafood smell in there.  

Taste 

YUK, I do not like it, flat bitterness is what hits me first, that cannot be right, people are going mad for this, is my palate ok???? 

Rinsed palate -   Not as bitter but it is still there mixed in with some fruit like guava, mango and bitter plum.  Getting creamy and the fruit is developing and it is a little lack lustre for the relatively high strength but the fruit is getting sweeter.   

Finish 

Medium length, quite sweet.    Neat, the finish is the best part, but the bitterness spoils it and it lacks balance for me    With Water  The nose has more fruit, the palate has more fizz and still a decent length.  I love blends but in my humble opinion old blends do not seem to go together that well, I thought the same about the Black Bull 40 year batch 1. 

After all the glowing tributes I am disappointed with this and feel it is too expensive for the quality of the product.  The adage old is not always better certainly applies here.  It is ok but nothing more and the bitter notes swamp it.

It is not massively bitter but everything else is quite subdued hence why I notice it.  Do not add too much water because falls away.   

Too expenisve for what it is, I think people are being ripped off if you go on quality alone.  Yes its 40 years old but it does not matter if the quality is not there and I do not think it is here.

Nose: mild, honey, vanilla, biscuit, malt, some wood noticeable, nectar bright fruits Taste: creamy, very sweet, vanilla ice cream, honey, malt, slightly snappy, some citrus fruit, large volume, almost too spicy Departure / aftertaste: the impressions of nose and taste continue - long, slightly spicy, sweet but also slightly bitter Comment: Yes, a good blended malt, but I already had other grenades in this age group in the glass (although not so "cheap"); had read in some places that the 40yo was a bit more complex than the 21yo. I can not confirm. I like the 21yo and therefore ... Points: 90/100

Mmmh, mashed fruits: mirabelle plums, banana, melon ... Fresh and minty. Very sweet, and honeyed. The oak appears gradually. With water, some citrus notes in addition. On the palate, frank attack on the oak. Intense and bitter. The first sip is really very dry, the following is sweet. Final also on oak and bitterness, reminiscent of coffee. Beautiful !

Enthusiasm 4/5

Nose: Wonderfull sweet and oak, it really shows some depth! It has classic bourbon notes in it, but in a special way. Like there is vanilla, but it smells like very good vanilla ice-cream, there is some wood polish in it but also a slight hint of sherry.

Taste: Sweet and sour, woody, hints of canned fruit. Some sherry notes are there too. Sweet and sour pickles. Vanilla, toffee fudge. A very very tasty dram. Some camphor and an hint of mint.

Body: Full and creamy!

Finish: long! Bitter sweet, bitter oranges. Some fruit syrup (as found in canned fruit). Wood and vanilla again

Price: Between 275 and 300 euro is very fair for this bottle and quality!

Presentation: Very well! sober and not too serious!

Comments: A very well blended malt!