The Famous Grouse

The Famous Grouse
Blended Scotch whisky
40% alc/vol
$20

Ah, the Grouse. When I first tried this one, the only blended Scotches I'd had were the Johnnie Walker Black Label (meh) and the Pig's Nose (wheeeee!). The Famous Grouse was the turning point; the day I tried it, I realized that I do, in fact, love blended whisky. Some blended whiskies, anyway.

Not only is the Grouse delicious, but:

1. it's delicious neat. (It's great with ice or mixed, too, of course, but neat?!)
   
2. it's cheap. Around $20 for a 750 mL bottle, and $30 for a 1.75 L bottle.

These two factors make the Grouse one of the best bangs for your buck out there. I still can't believe such an inexpensive whisky can taste so damn good.

Notes:

This blend is the lovely burnished color so many Scotches seem to share. The sweetness in the nose hits me immediately. Soft and fruity, pears and honeydew. On this tasting, the alcohol is more apparent in the scent than usual. The texture is nice and creamy, coating the tongue beautifully. The finish is unremarkable, though it leaves me wanting more -- always a good quality!

The Famous Grouse has something about it that makes it undeniably drinkable. It's the kind of whisky you could just sit and drink all night long, and never get tired of it. It's earned a permanent spot on my drink cart, and I'm just so glad I ventured out of my comfort zone to try it!

I <3 the Grouse.

Soft and Smooth as a Pig's Nose

Pig's Nose Scotch Whisky
Aged 5 years
Blended Scotch whisky
40% alc/vol
$33


I'll be straight with you: I'm a single malt Scotch guy, and have been for quite some time. Bushmills Malt 10 yo is about the only exception that regularly graces my selection. But I never touched blended whiskey.

A while back, I decided I hadn't given blended Scotch a fair shake. I went down to my local liquor store and picked up a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label. I didn't know much about blended whiskey, but I knew Johnnie Walker was a very big, very popular brand; I knew Black Label was the same age and at the same price point as solid, popular single malts, like Glenfiddich 12 yo and The Glenlivet 12 yo; and I knew the Black was generally considered to be potable neat, as opposed to Red Label, which is almost universally used in mixed drinks only. I figured that if I was going to like any blended whiskey, I was going to like Black Label.

I didn't. It seemed awfully harsh and medicinal compared to even young single malts. I only really got through the bottle by mixing it with diet root beer or cola, which is actually decent...but not as good as the same drink using a single malt instead. After that, I went back to single malts exclusively.

Recently, I came across The Scotch Blog, authored by Kevin Erskine. In one post, he recommends the very peculiarly-named Pig's Nose Scotch Whisky as "the perfect introduction to the category [of blended Scotch whiskies]." I was in the mood to try something new, so I went ahead and picked up a bottle earlier today.

My tasting notes:

• Color: Russet.
• Nose: Peanut butter, leather, candy corn, and corn on the cob. A hint of that new car smell.
• Palate: Creamy, delicate, and smooth as silk. Has a wonderful mouth-feel. Is this what "chewy" means?
• Finish: Moderate, and a little bittersweet, though not unpleasantly so - like sweetened tea or coffee. Leaves me wanting another sip.

I really never would have thought I'd have enjoyed a blended whiskey so much. Not only that, but it's young, too. The only other five-year-old whiskey I've knowingly drunk is McClelland's offering...and that carries neither an age statement nor a distillery listing, to give you an idea of the quality. Pig's Nose is far superior, in my opinion, particularly if you add a bit of water to cut what little harshness is bestowed on the whiskey by its youth.

In other words, I'll enjoy finishing the bottle, and I may well replace it afterwards.

Oh, and the name? According to the label on the bottle, "In Gloucestershire 'tis said that our Scotch is 'as soft and smooth as a Pig's Nose.'" I've never felt a pig's nose, but judging from this dram, it's pretty damned smooth.