Bell's Old Scotch Whisky

I moved into a new apartment the other week, so the scotch club boys and I decided to have a little fun and crack open something I have had for quite some time. Not a fine single malt, mind you, but a rather suspicious bottle of Bell's "Old Scotch Whisky."

This was given to me as a gift, and I've held onto it because it was a funny trinket - a ceramic bottle shaped like a bell of age and origins unknown.

Now, we knew this was dicey territory going into it. The last person who attempted to open the bottle only managed to separate the top from the cork which was left inside the neck. The chances of contents not being corked were slim. Still, fortune favours the bold, so with a little ingenuity and a bit of careful drilling, we were able to create an aperture through which to extract the dark burgundy contents. We actually had to use a coffee filter to eliminate the stray bits of cork. Yes folks, this is not your usual Scotch Club fair.

Mystery bottles like this, I think, can be a lot of fun. Part of the enjoyment I have taken from refining my scotch palette has to do with being able to better appreciate the subtle flavours of drams that aren't well aged single malts. When you have tried a wide selection of the best Scotch in the world, you can taste any whiskey more deeply and fully.

The notes on this one are a little hard to make out, but there was a nose of cognac, molasses, and sweet butterscotch.  This was followed by dark rum, a somewhat overwhelming pine taste, with dried cherry, and (unfortunately) a hint of turpentine. Not the finest taste experience ever, but definitely unique. 

Oh yeah did I mention there was cake?