Berry's Ronnie's Reserve 1979 The Nose

Tasting Notes

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: fruity, silky and decadent; creme brule, creme caramel, and Manuka honey, with loads of fruit, mostly of the tropical variety; mango, papaya, pineapple, Mandarin orange, and melons; French crepes with powdered sugar and lemon juice. 

Palate: lush, decadent, and fruity with a silky backbone; more creme brule and creme caramel, with agave nectar and Manuka honey; still very fruity, leaning mostly in the tropical direction: grilled pineapple, underripe mango, honeydew melon, papaya juice, and kiwi; soft leather, fruity tobacco and medium dark chocolate to round things out, followed later by decadent spice.

Finish: long, fresh, fruity, and coating with oak spices bringing up the rear; refined and elegant.

Comment: it's been more than a year since I first tasted this, and it is even better than I had remembered; absolutely brimming with tropical fruit, decadent delights, subtle spice, and all kinds of nice!

Ronnie Cox’s Tasting Note

Nose: "Elegance in a glass, enticing orchard fruits, honey and spicy notes all in complex harmony." 

Palate: Complexity wrapped firmly in a honey blanket. Unusual to see a sherry hogshead from that era it has just the vaguest suggestion of its sherry background whilst the American oak vanillas and honeys pull off a dominance. 

Finish: Deliciously more-ish this a champion example of the elegance of this mid-body spirit where the character of the distillery is clearly evident and the perfect combination of American Oak sherry and this distillery’s much-loved spirit.”

More About the Ronnie's Reserve Range

"Lizzie Rudd our Chairman was behind the idea to create a range of Ronnie’s Reserve to mark 30 years of my association with Berry Bros & Rudd and the distillery from which the selection of casks originated. They have been bottled as a result of collective investment: Berry Bros & Rudd Funds and my Understanding!

"In selecting these casks I used the criteria of good taste. Whilst this is, obviously, subjective, I always look for exceptional attributes in maturity, balance, flavour, complexity, texture and delivery. The difference between the good and the great is the magical combination of all of these. Then, there is the character of the distillery; there is no point in disguising the natural elegance of this noble and, what I like to call ‘Premier Cru’ distillery spirit, with sherry or wood. Enhance, yes but disguise, no.

"To become familiar with the best that this Speyside distillery could produce, I have had the enviable task, over 30 years, of nosing several hundred casks. These seven casks are truly outstanding - superb examples of the excellence of the bloodline in each of their decades.

"I didn’t need the keys to the distillery, a bung remover and a nosing glass. I had had my eye on these casks for many years. They are but a very small offering from thousands of casks in our possession. My tasting notes of drawn samples would change from time to time as they matured in their wooden homes and I was determined that the style of whisky should reflect the changing styles of production and cask marriage over the four decades."

Independent Bottler

One of our favourite independent bottlers, Berry Bros. & Rudd is a stored London-based firm which has resided at #3 St. James Street, a stone's throw from St. James Palace, since 1698. Primarily a wine merchant, they have also played a prominent role in the Scotch whisky industry. In addition to founding the Cutty Sark Blend, and managing the Glenrothes brand for 30 years, BBR is also an independent bottler. We have long been impressed not only by the quality of their independent bottlings, but also their value! 

Berry Bros. & Rudd in Their Own Words

With two Royal Warrants and more than 300 years of history, Berry Bros. & Rudd is Britain’s original wine and spirits merchant. 

We can trace our history back to 1698, when an enterprising woman called the Widow Bourne started an “Italian grocer’s” at No.3 St James’s Street, selling tea, snuff, spices and the most fashionable drink of the day, coffee. The sign of the coffee mill still hangs outside our premises at No.3 today, in tribute to our roots.

In due course, our focus shifted to something a little bit stronger. As wine became important to the business, so too did spirits, and we started bottling casks under our label in the early 19th century, making us Britain’s oldest independent spirits bottler. Three centuries on, the family business continues to flourish, with its heart still very much at No.3.

While much has changed over the years, we are still owned and managed by members of the Berry and Rudd families, and we continue to supply the British Royal Family, as we have done since the reign of King George III. We still, from time to time, weigh customers on a giant set of coffee scales, a tradition which began in the 1760s, with Lord Byron, William Pitt and Beau Brummell among those who have had their weights recorded in our ledgers. Most importantly, we still believe that everything you should look for in a wine or spirit comes down to one simple question: “Is it good to drink?”