One of the pioneers of the market of Russian strong alcohol from a malt base. Produces “Old Tower” a subsidiary of the network of self-service stores “Dixie”. The country of origin of the malt distillate is Scotland. The holding period is at least three years.
Old Tower is an alcoholic drink with the taste and smell of Scotch whisky. Outwardly, the contents of the bottle resemble traditional scotch tape: soft caramel shade, medium degree of transparency, uniformity, no sediment at the bottom.
But Old Tower is not whiskey. This is indicated by the inscription on the back of the bottle. On the front of the label it says: Old Tower WHISKEY Traditional Scottish Blend, which confuses the concepts a bit, since the name of the drink is written differently on whiskey bottles: whiskey and whiskey. The first spelling – whiskey – since the 1870s, it has been customary to put on the labels of Irish and American whiskey, Scotch is called whiskey in writing.
Production features. Whiskey drink “Old Tower” is prepared on the basis of Scottish malt distillate, aged in oak barrels for at least three years. Before bottling, the drink is mixed with grain alcohol, diluted with water to a strength of 40% by volume, caramel color is added to enhance the color, filtered.
Whiskey “Old Tower” is not a fake. Rather, a replica of the original, prepared in the framework of GOST R 2015-55799 adopted in 2013 “Grain distillate. Specifications”. Only experienced connoisseurs or sommeliers will be able to distinguish a whiskey drink from whiskey in taste and aroma at the first tasting.
Prior to the entry into force of GOST R 55799-2013, whiskey, bourbon and other strong alcoholic grain distillates were not produced in Russia. The demand was covered by importers: Diageo with the popular budget whiskey White Horse, BIG with Jack Daniels. The policy of import substitution and the increase in the cost of excise changed the vector of market development, the Old Tower and other whiskey drinks have the opportunity to win over the buyers of chain stores.
Taste. Do not expect a special aroma and deep taste from Old Tower. The drink was prepared according to the manufacturer’s specifications, so it is not necessary to rely on the disclosure of the recipe. The only thing you can be sure of is that the ingredients included in the composition are acceptable GOST R 55799-2013.
How to drink. There are no special requirements for whiskey serving. Can be served with a few ice cubes in a clear glass with thick walls. In multi-component cocktails, the drink will almost imperceptibly replace the inexpensive brands of real White Horse and Hankey Bannister whiskey. The “whiskey + cola” bundle, common for cheap brands, will not disappoint either.