The Last Drop, 1960

A 12 year old blended whisky was created in 1972 consisting of 70 different malt whiskies and 12 grain whiskies.  The blend was then placed in three sherry casks, where it was matured for the next 36 years (highly irregular, to say the least).  The quality of the sherry casks is quite evident, as is the whisky's age.  There's substantial malt content here, too.  These three factors, along with the wide range of malt and grain whiskies, combine to create one of the finest blended Scotch whiskies I have ever tasted.  It's dark, mysterious, and enormously complex, with notes of molasses, fig cake, dried fruit, tobacco, dark chocolate, old pot still rum, and polished leather, finishing with lingering cinnamon and mint.  There's no sign of this whisky getting tired at all.  I am pleased they bottled it at natural strength and didn't water it down to 40% or 43% abv, which could have ruined it.

(Allocation information:  There's a total of 1.347 bottles, of which only 350 are being imported to the U.S.  They are available exclusively at Binny's Beverage Depot (Chicago), Park Avenue Liquors (New York), and Wally's (Los Angeles)).