SOMETHING SPECIAL LEGACY DUE SOON IN INDIA

 SOMETHING SPECIAL LEGACY SET FOR DEBUT IN INDIA?

THE PRELUDE

Something Special is still a premium Blended Scotch whisky, the no.1 Scotch whisky in the Dominican Republic, the no 2. in Colombia and overall no.3 premium Scotch whisky brand in South America. It’s considered an outgoing and sociable whisky that celebrates life, an optimistic attitude and everyday success. As may be seen in the photos both above and below, it is an NAS expression today and the decanter, while retaining its diamond cut, has been slimmed down a mite. The decanter of its newest release, the Something Special LEGACY, is unique and quite a collector's item.

Something Special made its debut in Latin America in 2004 as a 12 YO Blended Scotch whisky, 92 years after its first creation in 1912. The award-winning 12 YO blend contains fine Speyside malt whiskies and is sculptured around the outstanding Longmorn single malts, embellished by classy single malts from the Glenlivet, Glen Grant, Laphroaig and Allt A Bhainne distilleries, among others, which are melded together in Strathclyde Single Grain whisky to give it its unmistakably smoky sweetness. The hint of peaty character is imbued from a single malt produced at the Allt À Bhainne distillery in Keith, Speyside. The Islay contribution is made by an unpeated whisky from, surprisingly, Laphroaig, a distillery well-known for its unmistakable pungent, medicinal and smoky spirit. This expression is said to age in Bourbon and Sherry casks but the Sherry influence in this blend seems minimal.

The Something Special 15 YO made its debut in 2006. The producers soon saw their Longmorn stock running low, resulting in a drastic change. Something Special turned NAS in 2010. The iconic bottle was slimmed down, but stayed in the 'Decanter' mold. The lead picture captures this changeover. It is now carried by Allt A Bhaine, Glen Grant, Strathisla, Braeval, Aberlour and The Glenlivet. All these malts feature, among others, in the Chivas Regal family, the 12, 15 and 18 YOs.

But India is yet to see the Something Special LEGACY, a continuation of the Something Special 15 YO which never came to India, and which NAS expression features prominently in Latin America. The new edition of Something Special Legacy made its debut in 2015 in Colombia and quickly moved into the Latin American market, before reaching Europe via Spain. This is simply superb, virtually another level of Whisky. But the Something Special 15 YO went off the market, a familiar trend when one looks up Something Special 12 YO.

An excellent non-age stated super premium, with a superior aging process that stands out for its smooth fruity flavour and aromas of malts, perfect to drink on the rocks, neat, or in a cocktail. This exclusive blend was made by a new Master Blender: David Boyd; which was inspired by the tradition of the founders of the Hill & Thompson brand who began blending whiskies in Scotland in 1793.

The main features of Something Special LEGACY NAS are:

Nose: When you pour this Blend in your glass you immediately get Peat and Light Smoke that remind you of a light Islay whisky. However, the Peat and Smoke are driven back quickly to the back of the glass and Dried Fruits, Grain, Wood, Nuts and Malt come into play. Caramel, sweet toffee, blackcurrant, red fruits such as raspberry, vanilla and canned apples. Sweet, complex and well balanced.

Taste: Sweet (Sugar, Honey) and Spicy Oak. Very soft and fruity. Elegant and slightly spicy. When adding four or five drops of water, the peat smelt on the nose withdraws to the background and floral and mineral tones appear. The palate however just gets watered down. So you can nose this blend with and without a few drops of water but best drink it neat.

Finish: Not overly long and quickly getting dry. Some Cocoa Powder, Nuts and Wood. The grain whisky is felt.

General Remarks: The Longmorn Distillery (Speyside) was the home of this Blend. Something Special contained a lot of the Longmorn 15 Years, maybe as much as 35%. Its non-availability required filler malts. The Distillery is currently owned by the French Pernod Ricard Group, that also owns Chivas Regal. Today it still flourishes in Latin America and in countries like Venezuela, Uruguay and Colombia.

After the initial success of the slim NAS bottling, the Something Special LEGACY is certainly headed for India.