Blend Project #26 Passport Scotch (1977 - 1980)...

Passport Scotch (1977 - 1980) (43.0%): And the second sample of the three dusty bottles The Malt Impostor crew sent me is Passport Scotch. Again if we look at the red US tax stamp attached to the bottle we can tell that the period should be somewhere between 1977 - 1983 but if we also consider that the original label carries an imperial volume unit we can narrow the period to between 1977 - 1980. Nowadays Passport Scotch is released under Pernod Ricard umbrella but back then it was a brand of Seagram/Chivas Brothers. It was introduced in mid sixties as a lighter style of blended Scotch and it is a big seller in Portuguese speaking countries especially in Brazil. Ok, time to pop open this bottle after all these years...

Color: Very light yellow, straw. Fast running legs around the glass.

Nose: Shy first... Opens up in time. Old vintage cardboard suitcases, leather binding books and dry soft wood. Pencil shavings and carpenter's shop. Allowing it to air even more adds some fresh grapes, green plums and dry malt.

Palate: Oh, all gone... Unfortunately it is all oxidized. Very thin texture. Wet cardboard, quinine and freshly sliced quince. Cheap plastic buckets, packing tape and licking old school envelopes... Bummer...

Finish: Long and bitter. Mostly alcohol burn, plastic and wet paper.

Overall: Well, this was a let down... It could be another great adventure but the whisky was long gone. This is another good example why we shouldn't wait to too long to enjoy our whiskies. I know that our precious bottles are kept in much better conditions, all cork sealed, stored in dark, kept away from extreme temperatures, etc. but what if one of them is allowing air right now as we speak slowly but surely through its cap..? What if you cannot realize it till years after..? Just saying, worth to think about... Thanks again to The Malt Impostor for the sample...

Price: N/A but current releases are $25 for a 1.75 liter bottle

49/100