From the still in the 70s (1974 or 75), to the bottle in the 90s (around 1993), to my glass in 2025: these whiskies have been on a journey through time. We have here three more or less peated whiskies of almost identical vintage and age, a Springbank, an Ardbeg, and a Caol Ila. Should be an even fight!
Springbank | 18yo (1975) | 43% | Signatory Vintage
from a 2cl sample bottle
🗒️ Tasting notes
Nosing
Golden fruits (ripe mango, peach, orange), green apples, white wine or perhaps mead, various desserty notes (toffee, banana bread, vanilla), beeswax, hemp, hay, farmyard funk, something burnt.
Sipping
Quite grassy, peppery, earthy at first sip, then gherkin, golden sultanas, crystallized ginger, smoked cold cuts. Briney, and on the dry side.
💭 Comments
Unmistakably Springbank (says I., while acknowledging that I have been known to produce both false positives and negatives in tasting Springbank blindly)
Deliciousness
Fun factor
Value for money
Punchline
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(not assessed)
70s gherkin
Ardbeg | 19yo (1974) | 43% | Signatory Vintage
from a 2cl sample bottle
🗒️ Tasting notes
Nosing
Very lemony (lemon sherbet) along with a peat and woodsmoke, white pepper, unripe nectarine, a little iodine.
Sipping
Juicy, with lemon cake, pecans, peat, cigar smoke, even something flowery.
💭 Comments
Not so complicated, but really quite nice.
Deliciousness
Fun factor
Value for money
Punchline
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70s lemons
Caol Ila | 19yo (1974) | 46% | First Cask
from a 2cl sample bottle
🗒️ Tasting notes
Nosing
Various yellow fruits, limoncello, litchi, “Champis”, sponge cake, fresh grass, cinnamon, oak spice,
Sipping
Salty, just a little sweet and peppery. More peat than on the nose, turning a bit vegetal, plenty of citrus, salted grapefruit, and definitely oatcakes.
💭 Comments
Another pretty good one! Not super-memoranle
Deliciousness
Fun factor
Value for money
Punchline
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Peated oatcakes
As anticipated, quite an even battle, and I can’t pick a clear winner, or loser even!
DuckDrams 
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