Grand Old Parr Tribute Scotch Whisky from 1980s (75cl, 43%)
Celebrating the life of Thomas Parr who, according to legend, loved life so much that he lived for 152 years.
Blended and bottled by MacDonald Greenlees, Distillers, Edinburgh.
The Master Distillers from the House of Old Parr have selected the finest whiskies from the four corners of Scotland and matured them in special oak casks. These diverse flavors are perfectly balanced to give Old Parr Tribute a refined and full bodied flavor. Old Parr Tribute combines these whisky styles with Bourbon and sherry casks to give creamy coconut notes with exotic fruits, chocolate and a subtle hint of peat smoke. The expertly rejuvenated casks enhance this with hints of cinnamon spice and mature oak flavors.
Old Parr was introduced in 1909 by Greenlees Brothers of London and Glasgow. It takes its name from the reputed oldest man in Britain, Old Tom Parr. The name emphasised the maturity of the product. The brand was initially successful in London, before finding popularity in export markets. Following a series of mergers, Greenlees became a part of MacDonald Greenlees & Williams. In 1925, the company was acquired by Distillers Company, which was acquired by Guinness, which merged in 1997 to form Diageo.
The standard blend is the 12-year-old called Grand Old Parr (40% ABV). The 15-year-old blend is known as Old Parr (43%), and the 18-year-old is known as Old Parr Superior (43%). Old Parr Superior was launched in 1989, and is blended in small quantities in Scotland twice a year. Discontinued blends Old Parr Tribute and Old Parr Elizabethan, the latter launched in the mid-1980s, retailed at a higher price than Superior. In 2014 a new Old Parr Tribute was introduced for the Colombian market.
The basis of the blend is Cragganmore. Glendullan has been a major component of the blend since World War II. The brand sold over 1 million cases (1 case equals 9 litres) in 2011, putting it among the top twenty highest selling Scotch whisky brands in the world.
The brand had ceased to be distributed in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe by the 1980s. Old Parr was bottled at Diageos plant in Kilmarnock before that closed in 2012. Old Parr is now bottled at the Diageo complex in Leven, Fife.