DuckDrams

Last year I did a bunch of reviews of newbie distilleries. Many samples were 5cl bottles, usually leaving an extra dram after my review. I did what any reasonable person would do and let these leftovers trickle into a bottle: The Baby Blend!

Now, if I add up the volumes I wrote down for each component I get 24cl, which is inconsistent with the bottle being only 20cl (it was indeed full). But here’s more or less the composition:

So it sits at around 48% and contains less than 40% peated malt (as the peated components might be less than 100% peated to begin with), and from a variety of casks types; plenty of bourbon, but also sherry and wine. Most of the contents have been marrying for about a year, and I had a taster some weeks ago, which introduces some oxygen into the bottle, so now this baby should be ripe and ready! (Sorry, that sounds horrible…)

“Baby Blend #1” | 48% | DuckDrams

🌐

Scotch blended malt

🪵

various

🔆

mostly unchillfiltered & natural color

from a 20cl bottle

🗒️ Tasting notes

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Nosing

The nose gives an immediate coastal and peaty impression, through to greener and woody elements (juniper, oak), supported by a richer, fatty and confectionary character (lard, wool, red/dessert wine, vanilla, candy), along with various fruits (grapefruit is quite prominent, waxy oranges, dried apricot, banana, banana peel).

Sipping

Very malty, spicy, with balanced sweetness, and a bit bitter in a vegetal and peaty way. Grapefruit, heather, chocolate cake, smoked sausage . More dried berries and grapes in the finish, with the peat peat-ering out quickly.

💭 Comments

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Would this work as a blended malt on shelves? Absolutely! It tastes young, but full of attitude and flavour. I would indeed say that it has more to offer than most of its components on their own. This makes sense, since each is young and limited in complexity. There is no individual component dominating, though the sum of the peated ones makes this

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Deliciousness
Fun factor
Value for money
Punchline

⚫🟡🟢
⚫🟡⚫
(not applicable)
Better than the sum of its parts

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Throughout the evening my Baby Blend kept growing on me. But as the bottle becomes half empty, I will need stop myself. There are already plans for Baby Blend #2, which will carry the legacy of BB1 forward (with 10cl). In addition there will be the leftover from a few tastings I have coming up:

• Dalmunach. I have a 6yo sherried, and 7yo CS bourbon sample, as well as a bottle port wood finish.
• Lagg and Ardnahoe inagural — both peated ones!
• Maybe a bit of standard Lindores that I had forgot about
• And… A huge x5 Ardnamurchan tasting with the standard AD, AD/10, Rum, Sherry, Sauternes finish.

Will the second child be more precocious than the first?