Review by: The Muskox

Banff had the unfortunate distinction of being the unluckiest distillery in Scotland.

After setting up in 1863, the distillery was nearly completely destroyed by a fire in 1877, though it was rebuilt and reopened later that same year. In 1941, while the distillery was closed for the war, it was bombed by a German aircraft and destroyed again. It was said that casks exploded into the air, the distillery was surrounded by a river of burning whisky, and, due to whisky seeping into the watershed, nearby cows were “not milkable for days”. The distillery would be rebuilt again in 1943, before being heavily damaged again when a still exploded in 1959. Finally, Banff would end up a victim of the Whisky Loch of the 1980s and would be dismantled over several years… before the last warehouse burnt down in 1991. This is the Springfield Nuclear Plant softball team of distilleries.

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Distillery: Banff.

Bottler: Blackadder.

Region: Highlands.

ABV: 53.7%. Cask strength.

Age: 24 years. Distilled August 25th 1976. Bottled August 2001.

Cask type: Cask #2247, a hogshead.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: 0.3, Pale gold. No colour added. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Herbal and savoury. Pine, industrial wax, wood varnish, petrichor. Sesame sauce and fish food. Subtle mineral notes, limestone maybe. Mustard, though I only picked that up after being told that mustard is a classic Banff note. Flintstone vitamins? Blanched almonds, marshmallow, and fresh coconut. Grapefruit, blood orange, and a little mango.

Palate: Medium-thick texture. Arrives slightly soft and old school, musty fruit, canned pears, wool sweaters. Savoury – boullion cubes, tobacco, dried herbs. Oak and ginger on the development. Pineapple cooked in brown sugar. Ashy.

Finish: Medium-long, heavy, earthy, and sweet. Lingering oak, walnuts, warm spices. Vernors ginger ale. Double cream. Lemon pepper. Fish skin. Grapefruit. Weed.

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Conclusion: This is a complex and fascinating old-school whisky. I was told the classic Banff note was mustard, and I definitely get that here. For a modern analogue, I think an older Craigellachie would get you pretty close, but there’s an extra level of savouriness here. I’ve had wackier and tastier old-school whiskies, but this has surprising balance too. Good stuff!

Final Score: 88.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.