In May 2024, I reviewed 8 old blends, ranging from the 1980s to one distilled before the Second World War, a splendid Ballantine’s 30-year-old. More recently, I reviewed a few modern blends, including another Ballantine’s, but this time it was a non-age statement, and it wasn’t as good as its ancestor. Far from it, and I’m sure the age of the components is not the only reason. Today, we return to old blends with a duo of 1980s J&B and Long John Blends. And since we reviewed recently the modern J&B, we’ll be able to see if it was better before!
J&B Rare Blend (1980s) Review
We start with a J&B Rare Blend that was bottled in the 1980s and imported into Italia by Dateo Import S.p.a. —Milano. As usual at the time, this comes in a 750 ml bottle, filled at 40% ABV. This is obviously sold out and only available randomly on auction.
Colour:
Pale straw.
Nose:
Neat: The nose presents itself as considerably softer than the modern J&B sampled a few weeks ago. There are notes of caramel and vanilla, along with hints of green apples and pears. The subtle intensity ensures that the grain components do not overpower. A touch of sweet popcorn is also discernible. The nose is simple and somewhat reserved, yet not unpleasant.
Palate:
Neat: The arrival surprises with a pleasant liveliness, offering a mouthfeel that is nice and slightly oily, far exceeding expectations of thinness. The blend strikes a balance between malty and grainy characteristics. Flavours of green apples, a hint of citrus, a touch of pepper, oranges, chocolate, and a light wood bitterness come through. A slight cardboard note lingers in the background, but it is a far cry from the modern J&B.
Finish:
Chocolate and wood notes persist, accompanied by a gentle pepperiness and a light bitterness. A touch of astringency is also present.
Comments:
This old 1980s J&B proves to be an honest blended Scotch that I would not mind drinking again. Certainly, I would not pour this glass down the sink. It seems that at the time, they used higher quality components, likely older as well. Perhaps they also employed a better malt to grain ratio. This blend definitely stands several steps above the modern J&B.
Rating: 5/10
Long John Finest Scotch Whisky (1980s) Review
Long John is a historic blended Scotch whisky brand named after John ‘Long John’ Macdonald, the founder of the Ben Nevis Distillery near Fort William in the Scottish Highlands. Established in the early 19th century, the brand originally focused on malt whisky from Ben Nevis, which produced one of the best-known Highland single malts of the Victorian era. Today, Long John is owned by Pernod Ricard and blends malt from multiple distilleries – historically including Ben Nevis and Tormore – and remains particularly popular in markets like France. The one reviewed today was also bottled in the 1980s for Italy and imported by STOCK S.p.A. – TRIESTE. The 750 ml bottle has an ABV of 40% and is sold out, so once again, the best chance of acquiring one is at auction.
Colour:
Amber
Nose:
Neat: The intensity remains low, yet the nose still offers hints of malt and a touch more grain, along with notes of vanilla, varnish, glue, orange, and dough.
Palate:
Neat: The arrival presents itself as soft, with some citrusy tartness, nuts, and vanilla. Very light whiffs of smoke appear, followed by some chocolate and toasted wood. A light bitterness also comes through.
Finish:
The finish is very short, almost non-existent, with some light chocolatey bitterness.
Comments:
This old Long John from the 1980s proves to be an inoffensive blend, lacking intensity on both the nose and palate. However, it mostly avoids the mistakes and off notes found in recent blends. It rates a small step lower than the J&B, as the J&B showed better quality and more character. Nevertheless, this Long John would be preferable to almost any of the modern blends reviewed in early May without hesitation.
Rating: 4.5/10
Bottle pictures courtesy of Whiskybase. Thanks Yves!