Grant's

Grant's Family Reserve
Blended Scotch whisky
40% alc/vol
$13

Grant's Family Reserve is interesting. It's one of those blends that spring to mind when a working-class fellow who's been around the block mentions "Scotch." Cheap, ubiquitous. A man's drink.

But, upon tasting it, I'm once again reminded that none of that means it's not good.

I sat down with this one some time ago and compared it directly, head-to-head, with the Grouse. The two are very similar. The Grant's nose seems slightly sweeter, with an appetizing hint of banana. The taste is sharper, though not unpleasant, and the finish longer.

By my reckoning, the Grouse beats this one out, but not by much. If I were on a budget, however, I'd probably prefer Grant's; at 13 USD for a 750 mL bottle, or somewhere around 20 USD for a 1.75 L bottle, the price is hard to beat.

I'll also note that Grant's has a sherry cask offering, finished in ex-Oloroso casks, for the same price. Sherry freak that I am, it seems right up my alley. So many whiskies, so little time!

(For plenty of interesting information about Grant's Family Reserve, check out Dr. Whisky's write-up!)