Black Bottle Blended 1960's Edition

Black Bottle is a blended Scotch Whisky. The brand originated in 1879, initially made by tea merchants. After a period of difficulty, the recipe was altered in 1990 to feature Islay single malts, and then modified again in 2013 to lessen the smoke. Originally sold in a black bottle until 1914, it was then housed in dark green glass until returning to black in 2013. This entry is for an older bottling, possibly around 50 years old, made according to the original recipe from before the 1990s. It's quite decent. This is the second older blend I've sampled from decades ago (the other was a 1970s Black and White). Both possess considerably more character than their uninspired modern counterparts. How did blends come to be associated with blandness when they offered such quality forty or fifty years ago? Was it due to profit margins, shifting preferences, or difficulties sourcing essential ingredients? Further information suggests the company was sold in 1959, and over the following three decades, its quality diminished significantly. The 1990s blend was relaunched under new ownership, incorporating whiskies from active Islay distilleries like Laphroaig, Ardbeg, and notably Bunnahabhain. The spirit presents contrasting notes: one distinctly sweet, reminiscent of honey or mead, and the other a subtle Islay peatiness. While not exceptionally intricate, it shows much more character, even at 40% ABV, compared to contemporary blends.