North Star Spirits tasting night, Sydney, 18 July 2019. Whisky #3 Nose: A full and vibrant nose with glacé fruits, buttery brown sugar, fruitcake, some excellent oloroso sherry and a very well measured oak presence which is both mature and aromatic but also sprightly. For an older blended scotch this is a surprisingly vigorous and juicy nose. Adding water deepens the nose and adds some caramel. Palate: A sweet and gentle entry featuring malt and fine oak notes. A little drying as it develops with medium-dry sherry and spicier oak emerging, but this is balanced by rich fruitcake flavours. Over time the palate gains buttery notes and become quite dulcet, and it has a chewy, firm texture that is very pleasant. Adding water softens and slightly sweetens the palate, but don't add too much. Finish: Medium. Fruity, with a lingering chocolate-malt and oak spice aftertaste. There is a very, very faint metallic tang in the background. A very good old blended scotch - it's almost like a blended malt. It has weight and character and with time and the addition of just a drop or two of water the palate gains an excellent silken texture and considerable depth. The profile is unquestionably Speyside (imagine a blend of Glenrothes and Macallan with a grain whisky and you're not too far off). This is the second edition of Spica released by North Star Spirits and it is different to the first, which was a less expensive 20 year old. In my opinion this 29 year old is much superior. Do not expect great similarity between Spica editions - there will be a family resemblance, but Spica is not blended in-house to create consistency. The company buys casks of already blended scotch that have been aged for a considerable period and then vats them for bottling. Consequently, the profile of each edition will depend on exactly what casks Iain Croucher has been able to source that time round. However, that said, both editions to date have had a similar "old, blended, unpeated, sherried Speyside scotch" character, which appears to be the defining principle behind Spica as a release. The price may seem high, but considering this is a 29 year old blended scotch that beats the living daylights out of almost every other blend (and a fair few single malts at the same price) it's worth every cent. "Very Good" : 86/100 (4 stars)