Old Comber 7yo (c. 1950)

[TheWhiskeyBro]

Tasted from a sample gratefully received from JohnM,

Old Comber 7 Year Old 40% (Vintage Bottling)

Colour: Rich Golden Amber

Nose: Old oak (slighest hint of musty wood) with distinct oloroso sherry cask. Very feinty with turpentine, pine resin and prominent menthol aroma.

Taste: Dry amontillado sherry, medicinal feel with menthol and liquorice.

Finish: Smooth and clean with dry aftertaste, not great length, slightly brittle.

Score: 86 out of 100

[JohnM]

I like this one a lot, although the colour is very strange for such a young whiskey.

[jcskinner]

OMG! What a legendary whiskey that is! I'm guessing it must be well over a half century old at this point. Fascinating that even at 7 yo the wood is still quite dominant. This is the main complaint generally levelled at the 80s bottling (which was over 30 yo).
I'm going to have to ransack my collection to find something that JohnM might be interested in receiving as a sample now!

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

Was really looking forward to this and have kept most of my precious sample for a later tasting against some other old PPS samples I have. Had to bow to temptation and follow this thread though


Nose: Old dry Wood very evident, sweet ripe banana, hint of marzipan, vanilla, slight nuttyness, sherry, iron rust (if you get what I mean ) some soapyness and strangely an iodine note in the background.

Taste: very woody, watered down sherry sweetness, can't get much else

Finish: woody sweetness continues into a dry ashy feel on roof of the palate.

Comment: To be quite honest it was not the best whiskey I've ever tasted but wonderful to experience another piece of Irish Whiskey History. However this whiskey is quite puzzling ... the wood influence, the colour and the age statement just don't seem to match up? The wood influence would lead me to believe that it was an old whiskey but the fact it is circa 7years old might of meant it was possibly a 2nd or even 3rd fill but the colour would suggest it should be a first fill unless it was reseasoned. It's a hard one to fathom

Last interesting issue of note and it is something we have discussed about Irish Whiskey previously on this forum. In the nose I get a slight touch of iodine and in the finish the ash feel. Am I reading too much into this or even getting something from nothing or is this more proof of Irish Whiskey being very lightly peated.

[varizoltan]

seems like the old redbrest 12 i got from you Adrien, i just tasted it in Bull and Castle (see dram tip off) but i just could not discribe it
i am a beginner

[Joel1802]

Colour: bronze, cream sherry

Nose: good sherried like Aberlour, menthol, oak,(very faint barn yard, antiseptic)

Body: light, velvety

palate: Oak, sherry, cough syrup, geranium, faintly medicinal, big menthol, spice (pepper) maybe faint turpentine

finish: sherry, menthol, polished oak, lots of pepper (not hot, just a tingle)

Not very pot still at all, more in common with a sherried Bladnoch than an old Bow st. or Tullamore PPS whisky. The malt was dominant over the other grains, I would love to know the mash bill. Very nice, very, very drinkable, but not complex. Score 85

Thanks John, I had wanted to try this for a long while. I enjoyed it very much and will pounce if I ever have a chance to buy a full bottle!