Crabbie 8 Years Blended Old Scotch Whisky 43%

Eight years in cask, 43 percent and a name from Leith. Crabbie belongs to the blends that were drunk a lot and kept a little — which is exactly why the surviving bottles are interesting.

Please note: The bottle is supplied without a carton.

Expert description

Crabbie 8 years Blended Old Scotch Whisky is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured for at least 8 years and bottled at 43%.

John Crabbie & Co was based in Leith near Edinburgh and was as much a merchant house as a whisky producer. Age-stated blends were a quality marker in that period, and eight years meant even the youngest component had lost its edges. The 43% was standard for export bottlings and gives more body than today's 40%.

Tasting notes

Nose

Malt, cereal and dried fruit. Behind them sit honey, pale caramel and a trace of old wood.

Palate

Soft and rounded. Raisin, orange, malt and vanilla, with a lightly spiced warmth and a dry edge from the grain whisky.

Finish

Medium, dry and malty, with nuts and a hint of smoke right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Crabbie 8 years Blended Old Scotch Whisky without carton 43%
Distillery: Crabbie
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Soft · Malty · Dried Fruit · Cereal · Lightly Spiced

Investment potential

High. The release is discontinued, and older age-stated blends keep leaving the market as they get drunk.

Did you know?

Leith was Scotland's most important whisky port for more than a century. Casks were stored in warehouses along the quay and the blending houses sat close together — it was the harbour, not the distillery, that decided who could build a whisky business.

See our full range of Crabbie Whisky

Frequently asked questions about Crabbie 8 years Blended Old Scotch Whisky without carton

Does the missing carton matter?

Only to a collector, and only for value. The whisky in the bottle is the same, and the flavour is unaffected by whether cardboard packaging came along or not.

What marks out an old blend like this?

A higher proportion of malt whisky, slightly higher strength and a softer, maltier character than many standard blends today. Eight years on the label has also become a rare sight.

How is it best enjoyed?

Neat at room temperature or with a single large ice cube. At 43% it has enough body to take a little dilution, but it is happiest without much water.

Can it be used in a cocktail?

It works fine in a Rob Roy or a highball. But with a discontinued release, few people feel like mixing it away — it is more interesting in the glass.

What was Leith known for?

The port town beside Edinburgh was for decades the centre of whisky trading, storage and blending. Many of the old blending houses were based there, and Crabbie was one of them.

Is it a good place to start a collection?

It is an easier way in than a single malt from the same era, and it tells you something about how Scotch was actually drunk. See more in our Blended Scotch Whisky.