I would generally avoid a blended whisky at all costs, too many Christmas and New Years where I’ve been offered a whisky of generally suspect vintage which has been lying at the back of a cupboard for longer than the owner cares to remember and I have to sit and try not to gag like a child being given a plate of vegetables, and that most likely says more about me than it does about the whisky.

Black Bull 12 year old blended whisky (50% ABV)

I got this whisky in a little miniature bottle from the guys up at Duncan Taylor and Co when I signed up to their mailing list. Which I thought was really nice of them and as soon as I’ve finished typing this up I’ll email them my thanks. Sorry for the digression and I’ll get back to the tasting before everyone loses the head with me.The Black Bull 12 year is a 50/50 mix between  malt and grain whisky and bottled at 50% ABV. And it has the colour of what most people think of as a whisky colour - a strong umbery orange colour which has the romance of whisky with a vestige of the past and what we all saw our grand parents drinking in the seventies - it looks like a lovely retro whisky, if there is such a thing!

On the first smell the alcohol dominates but makes way quickly to a Toblerone overtones (chocolate and vanilla rich whisky scents always make me think of Toblerone  - again seventies Christmases I guess). Its big on smell, and the scent lingers longer in the nose than I would normally expect which is hugely pleasant.Initial tastes of honey with a slight fruity note - reminds me of elderflower wine but as I’ve not had elderflower wine in over twelve years I could be off the mark, and the whisky coats the tongue in the way that a bourbon does with a thickness and strength I hadn’t expected. The thickness of the whisky and the creaminess continues into the finish which had a hint of tamarind or something equally oriental.

With a little water the whisky nose developed a slight smokey character the water seemed to destroy the flavour but really heightened the vanillans and weakend the finish. All in all one of the best blended whiskies I’ve had in a long time. Worth a little punt this Christmas if you have people coming round - likely to appeal to staunch whisky snobs and seasonal drinkers in the same still.

This is the perfect Hogmany family whisky - not enough to offend anyone and not enough to reach the heights of a great malt. In essence a perfect social whisky - and its the memories that whisky creates in many of us which is why we love one whisky over another although at 50% the memories may be slightly fuzzy.

If you fancy a bottle for this Hogmany have a look at the Black Bull stockists on their website or Google product search.