Scotch Review: Grant's "Sherry Cask Finish"

Me:  I'm stalking a wall of economy blended Scotch whiskies, and trying to decide which one to abduct and hustle to checkout.

Customer:  A soccer mom in an expensive red and yellow Manchester United jersey approaches with two boys in tow.  I am guessing 8 and 12.  I think my friend Keith has the same Kankichi Ryotsu shirt as one of the boys.

"Can you tell me what aisle the Grand Cru Saint-Emilion is in?"

Me:  "Sorry, I don't work here."

Customer:  She stares clinically into my eyes like she might catch a glimpse of the depths of my soul.  Then, her nose flares, as if she has found my soul located on a tropical island littered with bikinis, white sand, waves and Johnnie Walker Black on ice that never melts in spite of the heat of the nearby hibachi and the endless summer afternoon.

"I have seen you here before.  I am sure of it."

 Me:  "I have been here before because I am a regular, but I don't work here," I somewhat sputter.

Customer:  "You are wearing black pants and a red golf shirt like the rest of them."

Me:  So, does Tiger Woods on the Sunday afternoons.  

Customer:  "This is unbelievably bad customer service!"

Me:  Before I can say anything, she storms off with her offspring, much to my bewilderment.  I turn back to my wall of shame, and try to choose a blend that is cheap.

Customer:  She points at me, followed by an employee, presumably the 'supervisor' who is also wearing a red polo shirt and black chinos.

"That's him," she hisses.

Supervisor:  He looks me up and down and maybe also sees my soul's quest for rest at a Caribbean island beach under a palm tree that would be fitting for an Axe deodorant commercial.

"Ma'am, he doesn't work here."

Customer:  "Are you sure?"

Me:  I don't even wait for the supervisor to respond.  I randomly grab a bottle and hightail it to checkout, where I pay the ransom.

Grant's Cask Editions "Sherry Cask Finish"
I can't make this up.  I get out of the liquor store and am headed to my Ford with all the urgency of Steve McQueen in Bullitt, only my all wheel drive Escape doesn't squeal in spite of me tramping the pedal, as I exit the liquor store parking lot.  I knew I should have bought that Mustang in the showroom.

Once home, I look at my Friday night purchase with little enthusiasm.  Been drinking a lot of Teacher's Highland Cream lately and was thinking I need some variety, but the choices are pretty slim in the economy blended Scotch category.  A lot of blends are designed for mixing and I don't want a cocktail.  I want a cheap, but pleasant sipper that I can enjoy neat.

So, I grabbed the Grant's, off the shelf (bottom shelf that is), figuring it's been about six years since my last review.  Maybe it has changed a bit in flavour.  You'd be surprised how many blended Scotches can change for a number of reasons ranging from new corporate ownership (e.g. Teacher's) or new staff (e.g. master blenders).  Sometimes there is substitution of old faithful malts with new ones because head office bean counters (e.g. pinstripes at Black Bottle) decide to use other distilleries in their portfolio to contribute to the blend rather than others who are not owned by them.  That's what happened to Teacher's Highland Cream.  GlenDronach was a key malt for decades but a change in ownership triggered the decision to drop GlenDronach from the blend and use another sherried malt from a distillery already owned by the company.  The change was not good for Teacher's.  Fortunately, since then they have improved the quality of sherried malt in the blend once more.

Nose (undiluted)
Sweetness of vanilla, bread, dandelion and sliced oranges.

Palate (undiluted)
Apples, honey, fruit cocktail, orange rind, cheerios cereal, white cake bread, pleasant oak.

Finish (undiluted)
More orange rind, citrus, a wee peat, a puff of decent smoke, and then it's gone in a flash.  The finish is short, but hey this is a cheap blend.



General Impressions
This has improved since my last review.  The improvement is in the finish.  Six years ago, I sampled two bottles and the finish is where the wheels came off the wagon.  It would be bitter on the finish.  Not so now.  You are left with a simple but pleasing sherry note that manifests itself as Florda oranges and rind.  All pleasant.

The nose was good on this blend, and the palate was not offensive in the least.  With no change in corporate ownership at Grant's, I would attribute this improvement to the blending team's attention to detail.  Well done!

I am not a huge fan of the Grant's Family Reserve, but this Sherry Cask Finish is much better.

Worth a try, especially if you need a cheap daily sipper!

Cheers!



Jason Debly

P.S.  I am back from a bit of an entrepreneurial sabbatical and ready to post much more regular, so get ready for lots of my nonsense!

Whisky Review: Chivas Regal 12 years Blended Scotch Whisky

Chivas Regal 12 years old

They are two titans of the 12 year age statement blended Scotch whisky category.  One is Johnnie Walker Black.  The other is Chivas Regal.

I like both.

I like Chivas for the honey sweetness, spices and apple notes.  Sometimes I just want an old friend along while we watch the game.  Don't have to make much chit chat.  Chivas won't let me down.

Black Label is spicy cinnamon and caramel, accented with smoke due to the blending malts Talisker and Caol Ila.  Black Label is caramel while Chivas is honey.  Each has its time and place.  While Johnnie Black is more complex and probably is the superior dram in the category, it is invariably more expensive, often when I am light in the wallet, which makes Chivas (often on sale) a lot better company.

Category
Blended Scotch Whisky

Core Malts in Blend
Strathisla, Glen Grant, Glenlivet, Glenburgie, Braeval, and many others.

Distribution
Widely available in over 151 countries.

Format
750ml

ABV 
40%

Artificial Color?
Yes.

Chill Filtration?
Yes.

Closure
Plastic twist-off cap.  A little bit cheap and disappointing, and not in keeping with the fancy, but dated (e.g. thistle and castles) packaging and design.

Age Statement
12 years - no grain or malt whiskies less than 12 years and certainly some are older.

Style of Whisky
Classic Speyside

Nose (undiluted)
Vanilla, reserved oak, citrus, sliced apple.

Palate (undiluted)
Wild honey, spiced pumpkin pie, caramel, English cream, sugar pie, maple syrup on pancakes.  Sweetness is not cloyingly so.

Finish (undiluted)
While it is a short finish, the flavors are: lemon meringue, lemon zest, touch of smoke, slightest of slightest hint of peat, a sweetness that transitions to sour (but in a good way), and finally black pepper.  A distinct black pepper.



General Impressions
I like this blended Scotch.  It does not suffer from the all too common flaw of being too grainy.  It is honey and sunshine in a glass.  Virtually no peat or smoke, but that's ok.

I think the novice Scotch fan will really like Chivas Regal 12 years because it is balanced with no off-putting flavors.  In this regard, whisky newbies may prefer this over Johnnie Walker Black Label that has much more smoke and spiciness that novices may not enjoy.

When you factor in the price point, often on sale, how can you turn down an old friend?

Cheers!


Jason Debly

Whisky Review: Pig's Nose Blended Scotch Whisky

Pig's Nose Blended Scotch Whisky

Age Statement
None.

ABV
40%

Closure
Twist off metal cap

Price
Cheap

Category
Blended Scotch, just above entry level candidate like Ballantine's Finest.

Nose (undiluted)
Spirity, floral, sweetness, roses, dusty sherry.

Palate (undiluted)
Sweet entry of raspberries, strawberry jelly, but quickly turns malty, cheap oak chased by a spicy graininess that I liked to carmelized onions on a steak.  Good on steak but not in your whisky.

Finish (undiluted)
Some malt, oak and strawberries fight against an unrelenting tide of graininess, and ordinary table salt and pepper and loses.  You are left with pencil lead and stale rye bread.

General Impressions
This is Cream Soda with alcohol.  Sweet strawberries contributed to by ex sherry casks that have seen better days, old oak and grain whiskies that overwhelm.  The young whiskies making up this blend are too young contributing to graininess that is over the top.  The sherry notes contributed by ex-sherry casks taste more like balsamic vinegar.  Not a good thing.

This is not suitable for sipping.  Use it as a base of a whisky cocktail.  I cannot recommend this to be enjoyed neat.  That being said, the company that produces this whisky does make a great blended malt called Sheep Dip that I would encourage you to try.

Cheers!


Jason Debly

Whisky Review: Te Bheag Blended Scotch Whisky

Te Bheag 
Pronounced 'chey-vek' (Gaelic word meaning wee-dram).  This brand is produced by the small, independent company, Pràban na Linne Ltd., located on the Isle of Skye. The same company that puts out a delightful blended malt, Poit Dhubh, which I recently reviewed. Due to the small size of Pràban na Linne Ltd. distribution of Te Bheag is not on the scale of other competing blends (owned by much larger multinationals). It is available in Canada, the UK, parts of Europe and some limited availability in the US.

Category
Blended Scotch Whisky (40% malt whiskies & 60% grain).  No age statement.

Price
$36 - $40

Format
700 ml bottle

ABV
40%

Non-Chill Filtered
For those of you who are convinced that chill filtration strips away fatty-acid esters that contributes to subtle flavors and oily texture, have no fear, this whisky is not chill filtered. As for artificial coloring with E150, I am unsure, but suspect that if they do not chill filter then it is likely they don't color their whisky.

Nose (undiluted)
Intriguing maritime notes of sea, brine and surf.  Smoke wafts up nicely too.

Palate (undiluted)
Oily texture, rounded, salty, peat, brine, dulse,  and smokey!  Not over the top but interesting smoke I liken to Lucky Strikes unfiltered, rich Virginia tobacco.  Black licorice is here too.

Finish (undiluted)
Sherry, smoke, red and black licorice intermingle, prunes and mackerel.

General Impressions
This is priced higher than Teacher's Highland Cream and Black Grouse, but it is sure a lot better.  I liked this blend when I first reviewed it five years ago (click here) and I still like it today.  'Like' is too light, it doesn't convey my continued excitement for this great blend.  If this whisky is available where you live, I would highly recommend you consider it next time you want an affordable blend that punches way above its' weight.

Cheers!



Jason Debly