Black Bull Kyloe Peated (pronounced Ki-loh) 50%
Normally, I end with a peated whisky unless the tasting is exclusively peated. However, we're starting with the peated version in the Kyloe series, which is the newest addition. This bottling has been finished in an ex-peated cask, displaying a fine golden color.
Aroma: If you're expecting the aroma of a pure peated malt, you might be a bit disappointed because it doesn't express itself that way at all. It doesn't smell peated in the slightest, which aligns well with the fact that it was finished in a peated cask. It's salty and raw, a delightful scent. Definitely not off-putting.
Taste: Salty, creamy, with hints of citrus and nuts.
Finish: A long and warm, delightful creamy finish that lingers and is incredibly pleasant.
Evaluation: I get a taste reminiscent of a good Sønderjysk spegepølse (South Jutlandic dried sausage) that hits the mark perfectly. I'm genuinely impressed with how the saltiness and the lightly peated flavor are right on point. George Willsher wasn't lying when he said it was a tasting experience in 1864. If this is their latest addition to the lineup, I can't wait for the rest.
Black Bull Kyloe (Pronounced Ki-loh) 50%
Now, let's try the regular Kyloe bottling. Here, it moves away from the peated cask and into a more classic blended expression.
Aroma: This one plays with all the classic scents you'd recognize: apples, bananas, brown sugar, oak notes from the cask.
Taste: At 50%, it has a bit more bite here, while raisins and apples slowly glide down. You're tempted to take another sip to chase the flavor, but wait, it unfolds slowly.
Finish: A long and dry finish. The creamy flavor from the peated one comes through again, although not as complex as the first one I tasted.
Evaluation: If I had both a peated and the regular Kyloe in hand, the choice would be clear. This one wouldn't make it into the basket because once you've tried the peated version, you're sold. It's a fine dram, but it doesn't quite excite the palate in the same way.
Black Bull 12 years Old Blended Scotch Whisky 50%
Now, let's get into the aging process, and we're starting slowly with a 12-year-old. I remember when I first started enjoying whisky, blends with age were just a way to dress up a corpse. Fortunately, I've tasted many aged blends, so that's a statement I no longer make.
Aroma: Chocolate, cherries, vanilla.
Taste: Citrus, mashed fruits, raisins, figs, oak flavors, and those 50% alcohol content giving a little tingle on the tongue.
Finish: A long and warm, sweet creamy finish with sherry notes lingering in the background, and the 50% alcohol content quickly disappears.
Evaluation: It was a pleasant and delightful blended whisky. If I had received it in a blind tasting, I wouldn't have guessed it was a blend at any point. It stands on par with good single malt whiskies. It maintains the standard and appears quite complex in its flavor. A delicious blend with a reasonable price tag, highly recommended from my side.
Black Bull 18 years Old Nick Falco Edition 50%
Nick Falco is a professional golfer who has lent his good golf reputation to this series, or perhaps just his name.
This whisky is double-matured in oak casks, and if it maintains the level of the 12-year-old, there's something delicious in store. The color here is beginning to darken, a result of the extra time spent in the cask.
Aroma: Mashed fruits, sweet cherries, spicy notes, hints of salt and pepper emerge gently.
Taste: Full of character, creamy cherry flavor, complexity in its sweetness.
Finish: Delicious, delicious, delicious. Is there more to say? Well, it's truly delicious, and those 50% alcohol content vanish like dew in the morning sun.
Evaluation: Now, Black Bull is beginning to show its horns. Here is an excellent whisky that hits all the right notes. Sweetness, character, cask-aged – all the elements that make whisky a truly sublime tasting experience. The price of the bottle might intimidate some, given that it's a blended whisky with age, but if you taste it, it certainly doesn't disappoint.
Black Bull 30 Years Old Nick Falco Edition 50%
Since there are both a 50-year-old and a 55-year-old, I'm left with a bit of a flat feeling that the last one I'm going to taste is a meager 30-year-old. I'm expecting it to hit all the right notes when it soon spoils my palate. A 30-year blend is proof that the craftsmanship has come a long way with those great flavor nuances, so hopefully, we'll end with a bang.
Aroma: Mashed fruits, pears, bananas, roasted nuts, a delightful, sweet-filled cherry scent.
Taste: Complex and wonderfully creamy flavor, citrus and sweet saltiness just flood over the tongue.
Finish: "I'll have another, please!" Oh, what a pleasant and complex whisky. If this is the quality of a 30-year-old, I'll be knocked off my feet by a 50-year-old.
Evaluation: Black Bull is by no means a disappointment.
I appreciate that in recent years, instead of reinventing 100 different cask combinations or simply aging in sherry casks, which is always a safe bet, they've actually gone back to the roots and worked with blended whisky. Black Bull certainly makes a fine impression. From the great whisky heavens, George Willsher can sit with a proud smile knowing that a really good product is on the shelves of Danish retailers.
His vision was not to compromise on flavor, and here we are with Black Bull in 2023. Complex whisky, excellent flavor nuances, fine bottles, and a product that I believe should be in the collection of every whisky connoisseur to showcase what whisky used to be and where it might be heading.
I hope they don't pull a 50 or 55-year-old out of their hat for the tasting, as that would make me quite envious. However, a surprise has been announced, so I hope it's one that's unveiled.
Is it gold I'm holding? Not exactly, but I am impressed that this product lives up to its slogan.
”No Bull, just whisky”
Black Bull 50 Years old Blended Scotch whisky Tale of Two Legends 48%
Black Bull 50-Year-Old whisky is an extremely rare and luxurious Scottish whisky produced by the company Duncan Taylor & Company. This is a highly limited release with an impressive age of 50 years, giving it deep complexity and character.
Duncan Taylor & Company: The Black Bull series of whisky is known for selecting and blending whiskies from different distilleries to achieve the desired flavor profile. Duncan Taylor & Company is an independent bottling company with a long history in the whisky industry.
Flavor Profile: Being an old whisky, Black Bull 50 years is expected to have a deep and complex flavor profile. It may include notes of honey, caramel, dried fruits, nuts, oak, and spices. The taste can vary from bottle to bottle depending on the specific casks used to produce this whisky.
Packaging: The bottle and packaging for Black Bull 50-Year-Old whisky are typically very exclusive and carefully designed to reflect the spirit's prestige and rarity.
