Spica 29 year (North Star Spirits)

Nose: A full and lively aroma with candied fruits, rich brown sugar, fruitcake, excellent oloroso sherry, and a well-balanced oak presence that is both mature and aromatic, yet sprightly. For an older blended scotch, this has a surprisingly vigorous and juicy nose. Adding water enriches the nose and brings out some caramel. Palate: A sweet and gentle entry with malt and fine oak notes. It becomes slightly drying as it develops, revealing medium-dry sherry and spicier oak, but this is complemented by rich fruitcake flavors. Over time, the palate becomes buttery and quite sweet, with a very pleasant, chewy, firm texture. Adding water softens and slightly sweetens the palate, but avoid adding too much. Finish: Medium length. Fruity, with a lingering aftertaste of chocolate-malt and oak spice. There's a very, very subtle metallic tang in the background. A very good old blended scotch, almost like a blended malt. It has substance and character, and with time and just a drop or two of water, the palate achieves an excellent silky texture and considerable depth. The profile is unmistakably Speyside (imagine a mix of Glenrothes and Macallan with some grain whisky, and you'd be close). This is the second edition of Spica from the company, and it differs from the first, which was a less expensive 20-year-old. In my opinion, this 29-year-old is significantly better. Don't expect much similarity between Spica editions; there will be a family resemblance, but the blend isn't made in-house for consistency. The company purchases casks of pre-blended scotch that have been aged for a long time and then vats them for bottling. Consequently, the profile of each edition depends on the specific casks acquired that time around. However, both editions so far have shared a similar "old, blended, unpeated, sherried Speyside scotch" character, which seems to be the guiding principle behind the Spica release. The price might seem high, but considering this is a 29-year-old blended scotch that outperforms nearly every other blend (and quite a few single malts at a similar price), it's worth every penny. "Very Good": 86/100 (4 stars)

In the Virgo Constellation, there is the 16th most noticeable star visible from Earth. Its name is Spica, which has been chosen for this expression from the North Star independent bottlers. This is a blended Scotch Whisky, aged for a minimum of 29 years, with a portion matured in sherry casks. This is my first time trying a North Star Spirits Whisky. Bottled at 45.5% ABV. The color is slightly tawny. On the nose, it is entirely grain whisky. A grain whisky vanilla aroma, dry chocolate cake, Acetone, Lemon, a little Yeasty. Cheap citrus notes, Maize. After a few minutes, a pleasant green apple aroma emerges; Melon. After the first taste, the aroma becomes richer, especially the vanilla note. Vanilla milkshake with a hint of dulce de leche. More sips made it extremely sweet, dulce de leche and apples. Even a faint tobacco note appeared. It improved in character the third time I nosed it. The red apples have become a clean note, very nice. Palate is very standard. Pleasant vanilla dry cake flavor. Red apples, Cinnamon spice. Second sip is all about a nice dulce de leche / toffee sweetness, quite enjoyable, the spices emerge after a couple of seconds. It has a slight cloying burn that should not be present for a 29-year-old. Lots of toffee. Aftertaste is nothing to remember. A pleasant, subtle (it's felt but not on the sides of your palate) yet strong Pepper note. Vanilla and pepper. It feels like a very enjoyable, mouth-numbing, fancy, not too complex blend. Overall, a $90 29-year-old blend should tell you everything you need to know about this whisky. Yes, it is easy to drink, and you will actually like it, but it is not memorable. My rating for it is a fair 82 out of 100.

I've had this bottle open for months, hoping it would develop. It hasn't. It's not a bad spirit, but it didn't meet my expectations. The palate feels unfocused, and the texture is wanting. I see it as a suitable spirit for the beginning of an evening, a warm-up drink. It lacks the depth and layers for serious contemplation. Is it unpleasant? No. Is it exciting? No.