Review #: 413
Description: Dewar’s White Label (1980s Bottling)
Spirit: Scotch
Background: So this bottle has a cool personal story behind it for me. At a WWII reenactment event in 2021, I met a couple that were extremely nice and fun to talk to. I mentioned my interest in whisky, reviewing spirits, and working for Whiskey Raiders at the time. The guy goes back and returns with this bottle of Dewar’s and said he didn’t want it and handed it to me. Even as a dusty bottom shelf bottle, there is value there and it’s crazy to take a bottle like that from someone you only just met, so I refused. He then took it from me, cracked it open, and handed it back. No re-sealing it, so might as well enjoy it and poured it for anyone who wanted some. So there is a lot of positive memories and nostalgia I associate with this bottle that I will try to block out. I’m pretty sure this is from the 1980s, due to still having the tax strip but being labeled as 750ml (rather than 4/5s of a quart) so not quite WWII age but certainly dusty. Let’s see how it compares to the modern offering.
Distillery – Various
Bottler – Dewar’s
Brand – Dewar’s
Selection – N/A
ABV – 43.4%
Age – NAS
Nose – Richer than the modern blend: butterscotch, chocolate, lemon zest, sea breeze, some more of that bright melon and cucumber note, smoke is a bit bitter though and disjointed from the rest
Taste – Richness follows with the sweetness, dark chocolate, more oak behind the honey, roasted coffee and chocolate. It’s sweet but restrained
Finish – Chocolate, coffee, salt, pepper, smoke is a bit brash and bitter
Score: 5
Would I buy a bottle? Auctions are probably between $60-$100, probably not worth it for taste. Though if you really want dusty, it tastes fine and not prohibitively expensive.
Thoughts: It’s super interesting to taste this back to back with the modern offering. There are definitely parallels between them, but the dusty bottle shows a bit more depth to it. The sweetness is more mature, if you will, but then the finish is a bit more brash and in your face and takes it a step back. The modern is a bit sweeter and has a better flow to it, if not as complex. I think both are fine to drink but neither are super exceptional.