Pinwinnie Royale
Should I have sold this bottle instead of opening?
A while ago I was browsing online on Catawiki after drinking some drams. And I spotted a grain whisky I wanted to try in a batch of three bottles. I knew If I bought that grain whisky in the store I spotted it at, I would spend 90 euros. The bid was on 45 euro (for three bottles in a set) and I decided to go for it and offered 50. 45 minutes later I got an email I won the bid. I was already sleeping by then and woke up with an email confirming my winning bid and a payment request. I paid the bill, waited three days and received a box with three bottles of whisky. This was one of them: The Pinwinnie Royale Scotch Whisky.
Right from the start I was wondering: What is this? And what should I do with it?
I mean; Look at it. An old can, scratched and a little banged up. Inside a bottle with kind of kitschy label and an ancient looking cap made from plastic that looks like it will break apart when you try to twist it.
On the cap a small tax and quality sticker in Italian with a price: $15.
Ok, I got my grain whisky, this bottle is just filler right? Must be crap.
I put it aside, opened the third bottle in the package (Islay Mist if you wanted to know, 10 years old.) and almost forgot about the mystery bottle.
Until a week or so later, when I was regrouping my bottles. I decided to google this bottle.
Browsing around gave me a lot more information. First of all: It was no longer produced. The last series was bottled in the 1990's. Great! That means I got something by accident that might be fun!
The second thing I found was this website, where I found out the version with the can was produced from the 1980's onward. I discovered two versions, a "normal" blend and a 12 year old blend. It seems the second version was packaged in a purple fabric "sock" as a kind of luxury packaging. I got the normal edition, so no purple sock for me.
I also discovered the edition I have, was still available online. For a price. Varying from 79-159 euro, you can still buy this blend.
But is it a good whisky? On whizzky.net I found some reviews. Although based on the image, it seems the 12yo version was reviewed. Tasting notes: Nose: Hospitals, Taste: Hospitals, Finish: Hospitals.
Not my kind of whisky to be honest. So what to do? Maybe sell it and sponsor another bottle that I would like? Open it on a special occasion and smell and taste hospitals?
I put the bottle aside. Thought about it. Asked an opinion from my followers on Instagram and went back to ignoring this strange bottle in my selection.
And then I decided. I have a whisky selection, not collection. I want to try and taste as much as I can.
So I did not sell the bottle.
I opened it. On my birthday.
Or rather the day before my birthday when I had a celebratory whisky tasting with friends, since my actual birthday was on a Monday.
At first I did not like it, but that might have been the food I was eating. After aa while, I started to like it.
The whisky has a golden color, almost straw like. I got some watery legs after I twirled the glass a bit.
Nose: Citrus, spirit, medicinal notes, honey, spices, wet leaves and some bitter hazelnut.
Taste: Citrus, Spirit, sweet nuts (as opposed to the bitter hazelnuts on the nose.) and a bit of toast
Finish: Medium long, a lingering medicinal flavor and a slight bitter note that is not annoying.
I'm glad I opened the bottle. I think I would have been wondering for ever how it would have tasted if I would have sold it. If I ever encounter it again, I would buy it if I can get it for the price I have payed for it this time. (Around 20 euro.) Maybe even a bit more.