A bottle that got me almost nostalgic! This not because I’ve had the Old Parr before, in fact I had never heard of it and was surprised to see such an expression. The real reason was because the bottle drew several parallels with the wildly famous Old Monk (see below), a dark rum that garnered a cult following in India since its introduction in 1954. This was incidentally the first thing that caught me and I had to rub my eyes to see if they were deceiving me. From the fractured glass exteriors, the round, squarish shaped bottle, the bulbous neck, the antiquated font or the stained glass. Both brands even took near similar inspirations – one from an old monk, the other from a legend – that of Old Thomas Parr, the oldest man in Britain, who was thought to have lived until 152. “Inspired”, coincidental or copied?! – maybe another tale to tell. 🙂

Old Parr’s history extends way back, to 1909, and was concocted by the Greenlees brothers in the hopes of creating a premium blended whisky to cater to the high demand for blends at the time. With time, the whisky grew in global popularity, gaining larger share within the Japanese and South American markets. The whisky itself is a blend of Speyside spirits from Cragganmore and Glendullah distilleries, that have been aged for a minimum of 12 years using a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. The bottle keeps a lovely vintage theme, both on the eyes and the feel, very apt with the name and the overall styling.

ABV : 40%

Eye : Burnished | Artificial Colouring

Nose : Vanilla, wood and corn syrup; char, raisins, and milk chocolate. Grain with hints of earthiness, pepper,  ginger and cinnamon sticks.

Taste : Caramel, spices wood, and honey; infused with dried fruits and plum cake. Spices, smoke and green pepper.

Finish : Medium | Caramel and smoke, some honeydew mixed with warm spices.

The blend is smooth and delivers good mouth feel and viscosity, showing off a bit more age than what’s on the label. Minimalistic, yet omnipresent, holding good ground; the whiskey is sweet but smokey, with subtle spices, with a sort of depth to it. The Old Parr isn’t necessarily complex but carries itself with good breadth and a pleasant, robust flavour profile.

At AUD $89 it isn’t priced at your typical 12 YO blended whisky. It is a tad more expensive than what I’d have hoped for, and for what it’s worth, can be construed as fair value. Pound for pound, it holds a lot more flavour density, easily standing on its own without the need for a buffer, or a catalyst. This Old Parr is  certainly above par. And though it does share traits of a blend, it comes dressed with style, showing off both oomph and pizzazz!

Slainte!