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King's Wish, Unspecified

King’s Wish

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is harsh and sweet. At first there’s a big hit of ethanol and grain. It’s very sweet, which comes through as a thick layer of sugary sweetness with vanilla and mild peatiness mixed in. It’s very harsh and crude with a hint of a metallic citrus in the back. This is a bad nose overall.

Mouth: It starts out once again with a big hit of the young grain distillate. It’s not quite as sweet as on the nose and the sweetness has somewhat subsided. There is some oakiness, mixed with a smidge of peat, but the whole almost feels like a white spirit. After a few seconds it comes bitter and at this point it really doesn’t sit well on the palate. There’s a sour frutiness sitting out on the edges but it’s too little to matter.

Finish: The finish starts with a swift flare of fruitiness but it disappears as quick as it arrives. It then throws the harsh distillate, the bitterness and the oakiness right back onto the palate. Luckily the finish is short and doesn’t prolong the suffering. This is a bad whisky. It’s too young and poorly made to amount to anything.

Additional information
There is no information to be found on the content of this whisky. It’s bottled in Lithuania.

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Peak 2 Peak, Unspecified

Peak 2 Peak

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and spirity. At first there’s a generic sweetness with a hint of liquorice and a very young spirity distillate. The distillate also brings some green fruits with it. When it settles in the glass the sweetness moves towards honey and creates a better balance overall. The spirit note remains which isn’t all that great. The liquorice is very pronounced and it mixes well with the green fruits and malt. This is a decent nose. It isn’t complex nor especially interesting.

Mouth: It starts out with a hint of coconut and a bitterness in the back. In between there’s a mix of sweetness and a very spirity distillate. It almost comes through as having grain whisky as a component. The bitterness soon become a black coffee note which is quite nice, and the fruitiness is helping it along. The maltiness increases over time as well. It feels weird and doesn’t have a homogenous character.

Finish: The transition is flat and a bit uneventful. The liquorice and fruits remain but the back becomes more sour. There’s a weird cardboard note arriving and at this point it’s not a great experience. The bitter coffee note comes back and at the same time the oakiness starts to appear. At first it’s a bit generic but it slowly moves towards a nice nutty finish. This is a so-and-so whisky. It’s a budget whisky and it really shows.

Additional information
This whisky is made from a mix of Highland, Speyside and Lowland whisky. It was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-Oloroso casks.

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Dundee, MacRoys, Unspecified

MacRoys

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

See the queue here.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in 1st fill ex-bourbon barrels. It’s an Angus Dundee product which indicates that Tomintoul and/or Glencadam is included.

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Johnny Walker, Unspecified

Johnny Walker Blue Label

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

See the queue here.

Additional information
Johnny Walker doesn’t disclose age, distilleries or casks used. The bottle tried here is no. OA2 72650.

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Famous Grouse, Scotland, Unspecified

Famous Grouse Sherry Cask Finish – Christmas Release (2023)

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sticky sweet and fruity. At first there’s a lid of sticky sweet sherry syryp with vanilla and assorted dried red fruits. When it settles, it reveals harsh grain spirit as well as a fresher fruitiness, malt and toffee. It’s very top heavy and the extra maturation never really feels attached to the other parts. The sherry does give some seasonal spices and fruits which help it along. This is a decent nose for a cheap blend. It’s a major cover-up though.

Mouth: It starts out very mild with heavy vanilla and fruit syryp notes up front and oak, together with a slight bitterness, out on the edges. The fresher fruitiness starts in the back and then slowly wraps around the center part. it’s quite sour and metallic in the back. It doesn’t take long before the harsh grain spirit overruns most of the palate and everything becomes rather unpleasant. There is a spicyness to be found but it takes a long time before it arrives. There is a malty and fruity side within but it’s not enough to fight the unpleasantries.

Finish: The start of the finish is quite flat with just a touch of spicyness. The heavy vanilla notes carry over and do a good job of covering up the unpleasant spirit underneath. It doesn’t take long before the facade breaks though. The late finish is just a tedious oakiness, harsh grain spirit and a thin veil of sherry surrounding everything. This is a not-so-good whisky. The cover-up is blatantly obvious. It’s just famous grouse with a sherry clown mask on top. It certainly improves on the original though.

Additional information
The Grouse Brand was released in 1896 and two years later the name was changed to The Famous Grouse because of its popularity. Edrington generally uses Glenturret malt in its blends.

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Auld Rare, Storm, Unspecified

Storm (Auld Rare)

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

See the queue here.

Additional information
This whisky is a mix of Speyside and Highland whiskies. It was made in 2011 for the Whisky Shack store on Isle of man.

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Loch Avon, Scotland, Unspecified

Loch Avon 3 YO

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is harsh and spirity. At first there’s a very muted sweetness covered in harsh grain spirit. It’s very metallic and shiny. There’s a hint of fresh fruits and butterscotch and with some imagination there’s a peatiness within. There’s a pencil note in there as well. The whole is quite unpleasant and lacks both power and flavour. There is a liquorice note coming through after a while as well, but it really doesn’t do much for the overall character. This is a bad nose. The only good thing about it is that it’s very muted.

Mouth: It starts out with a weird butterscotch note with the grain spirit harshness as its main enemy. There’s oak spices joining forces with the otherwise low ABV which gives it a small spicyness. It’s metallic in the back and very grain forward up front. New oak and a hint of peat resides in the back. The butterscotch increase in intensity over time. The fruitiness is not especially noticable at this point and there’s no reason to wait and search for it.

Finish: The transition immidiately push forward the harsh and very unpleasant grain Spirit and it’s a really bad experience. The butterscotch is clingy and follows along and sort of mixes with the oakiness at one point. There’s a bitterness coming through from the back at this point and it just makes everything weirder and more unpleasant. The peat and the fruits seem to be too ashamed to be a part of the finish and never reveal themselves. The late finish is a mix of new woodshop oakiness and totally dead, bitter refill barrels. This is a bad whisky. It should not be had neat.

Additional information
There’s no information on origin nor aging process. It’s a peated blend released on the swedish market.

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Unspecified, Unspecified Distillery, Waterproof

Waterproof

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ABV: 45.8 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and spirity. At first there’s a layer of ethanol sitting on top of a sweet vanilla center part. When it starts to settle there’s a fresh yellow pear fruitiness added and the spirity layer decreases in intensity. There are baking spices slowly rising up with mainly a cinnamon note. Other notes found are ginger, grass, mixed dried fruits and an unidentified perfumey note. This is a straight forward nose. There’s a good amount of small things to discover, but it doesn’t feel deep or complex.

Mouth: It starts out with a mild toffee note and a spicy kick. After that there’s a mild peaty note coming up from behind as well as some darker ripe berry notes. It feels quite young at heart but it does carry some substance. Raisins, hazelnuts on one hand and fresher fruits and vanilla on the other. The oakiness is already detectable and it brings some new oak vibes along.

Finish: The transition carries the spicyness without spikes and emphasis lies on the fresh yellow pears with some cinnamon. The toffee still resides in the center and stays there for a good part of the finish. The oak is astringent and carries a new woodshop oakiness, hazelnuts and also some old oak furniture. The late finish is the best part of the experience. This is a good whisky. It seems like a mix of old and new casks, but the weighting between them feels skewed.

Additional information
The origins of this blended malt is not disclosed but it’s produced by Macduff International. It’s finished in traditional oak and ex-sherry casks.

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Clan MacGregor, Scotland, Unspecified

Clan MacGregor

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and grainy. At first there’s a vanilla and butterscotch center with a big, unpleasant grain spirit layer surrounding it. It’s very ethanol forward despite its low ABV. It’s metallic and spirity which takes center stage. There’s a feint aura of a public urinal somewhere within. There’s not much of a fruitiness to be found, maybe a hint of baked apples. This is a bad nose which most certainly doesn’t promote the next steps of the journey.

Mouth: It starts out with a shell of very unpleasant ethanol forward grain spirit with a vanilla center part within. In the back there’s a bad bitterness and a metallic note. In the center the baked apple comes through after a few seconds. There’s a malty bisquit note within as well. It’s flat but not watery and there is a thin peppery note coming through for those who are brave enough to wait.

Finish: For a second or two it’s just the bad grain spirit notes which show up. The vanilla, butterscotch and red apples do appear but everything breaks down fast and leaves a very bitter and bad oakiness behind. The metallic notes in the back does shift slightly towards a lemon note but it’s barely noticable. This is a bad whisky. It’s on the cheapest end of the spectrum and rightly so. It should not be comsumed, at least not neat.

Additional information
This whisky is a blend of fifteen unnamed malts and grain whiskies from the highlands, lowlands and Speyside.

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Grant’s, Unspecified

Grant’s Triple Wood

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and ethanol driven. At first there’s a mix of generic sweetness, fresh fruits and mint. Underneath lies a very unpleasant note of ethanol. It’s very shiny and metallic. There are some perfumey notes floating around within. The fresh fruits increase in intensity and it’s an apple and pear mix. The sweetness moves closer towards butterscotch and vanilla but never really gets there. The minty freshness on top stays the same throughout and a slight hint of oak and cooking spices are added after a while. This is not the greatest nose in the world and it’s a bit thin overall.

Mouth: It starts out with a very flat and round sweet butterscotch note and some baked red apples but soon it becomes very bitter and unpleasant. It’s still ethanol driven and it feels very poorly made. There’s a layer of oakiness surrounding everything but that just creates a frame to the bad overall picture. The oakiness increases in intensity and becomes a fresher oak which just makes the whole weird and more unpleasant. There are still spices and a metallic note within.

Finish: A surge in oak spices gives the transition a boost but it soon reverts to a flat character. A hint of black pepper stays behind though. The sweet butterscotch and apple note returns but soon crumbles and leaves the ethanol note and a bitter oakiness in the back together with a metallic note. There’s a fresh sawdust oakiness up front. The longer the finish lasts, the more of the fresh oakiness comes through. The finish becomes way overoaked with maybe just a hint of smoke. This is a really bad whisky and the virgin oak somehow just adds to the misery.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of virgin oak, heavily charred american oak and ex-bourbon barrels.

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Black Bottle, Unspecified

Black Bottle

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is oaky and sweet. At first there’s a massive new oak layer sitting on top of a harsh grain spirit note. The oakiness feels prickly and has a piney smell to it. After a few seconds a middle layer starts to form with a vanilla and butterscotch sweetness. There’s also a whiff of peat somewhere within. There’s a fresh lemon fruitiness in the back but it’s easily mistaken for a metallic note. With time the sweet layer expands a bit which is much needed to balance out the oak. This is not the greatest nose, not even in the budget blend catergory.

Mouth: It starts out with the same prickly and piney oakiness creating a thick layer around the palate. On the inside all the other flavours fight for attention. There’s still a sweet vanilla/butterscotch note as well as a thin peatiness. There’s also a thin flowery note floating around on top and the lemon is still found in the back. The grain spirit is very subdued and the background consists of a nice gritty layer with a hint of rubber and sulfur.

Finish: The oakiness flares up to another level and becomes truly unpleasant at first. The peatiness can’t compete with the oak so it just becomes a background noise. The sweet layer and the floral note has disappeared and all that’s left is a dry woodshop oakiness with the pine notes still within. This is a bad whisky which is way over-oaked (on purpose probably) to create the illusion of a spicy and flavourful whisky to use in drinks and cocktails.

Additional information
This whisky is said to contain several islay and Speyside malts. The grain spirit part comes from the lowlands. Bunnahabhain is mentioned as the main islay malt in this blend.

Islay mist, Unspecified

Islay Mist

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is butterscotch and peat. At first there’s a whiff of peat sitting on top of a clingy butterscotch note. There’s a metallic vanilla attached to it. The peat is leaning towards a coastal character with seaweed and a pinch of salt. After some time a fruity layer comes though somewhere in between the peat and the butterscotch. It’s a generic fruitiness and can’t attached to a specific fruit. This is a decent nose for a cheap blend with the grain spirit toned down by the peat.

Mouth: It starts out with a surge of fruitiness with a quite peaty outside layer with medicinal iodine as well as burning hay. The fruitiness still feels generic, but it fits rather nicely together with the peat. After a few seconds the clingy butterscotch and the metallic vanilla comes through. It stays in the center and never really pushes forward which is a good thing. It becomes a bit ”chalky” as well. A bit of black pepper spicyness shows up for those who wait.

Finish: It takes a second or two before any flavour shows up. It starts from the outside with the peatiness and then the fruitiness. The metallic note is much clearer than before and when the butterscotch arrives it becomes a bit unpleasant. The oakiness comes late and when it does, it feels like it’s rescuing the last part of the finish. It’s not the most characterful oak, but it’s good enough. This is a decent blend which is slightly better than its peers.

Additional information
This whisky was originally made with whiskies from Laphroaig, GlenGrant and Glenlivet by Ian Hunter in the 1920’s. What goes into the whisky today is not revealed except that Laphroaig is in the mix.

Famous Grouse, naked malt, Scotland, Unspecified

The Naked Malt (Naked Grouse)

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Unspecified
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a thick layer of vanilla and dried fruits and berries. There are raisins as well as tropical fruits and lemons. There’s also cinnamon, a whiff of tobacco and a piece of sponge cake. Underneath, the distillate comes through as rather flat and uninteresting. There’s a metallic note coming through as well. It’s extremely top heavy and the sherry cask covers everything else. This is a nice enough nose, but it’s just a big fruity and sweet lid on top of a flat whisky.

Mouth: It starts out with the distillate peeking through with a surrounding sweet layer. It feels a bit young and spirity yet flat from the low ABV. The fruitiness is residing on the edges and stays there. It’s a fresher fruitiness than on the nose and reveals a larger portion of tropical fruits and lemon. The vanilla coats the palate together with a hint of the oakiness. The ripe notes can be found in the back but they are somewhat subdued. A slight spicyness will come for those with patience.

Finish: The sweetness carries over and are immidiately joined by a fresh oakiness and a hint of sulfur. The fruitiness is now once again leaning towards ripe and dried darker fruits. It doesn’t take long before the oakiness takes over and the late finish becomes very oaky and a bit clingy. There’s not much to it other than that. This is an ok whisky which is obviosly a cover-up. The (presumably) seasoned sherry cask is doing a good job, but in the end it just makes the whisky top heavy with a shallow bottom.

Additional information
This is the rebranding of The Naked Grouse. The malts used are not entirely specified but Macallan, Highland Park and Glenrothes are known. It’s finished in first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks.

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Golden Shoe, Unspecified

Golden Shoe Blended Scotch Whisky

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is harsh, sweet and grain spirit heavy. A massive vanilla note dominantes together with what could be described as rubbing alcohol. The sweetness is just generic white sugar-like. There’s no fruitiness nor oak. There’s a hint of cardboard coming from behind. It’s one-dimensional and lacks both depth and complexity on the nose.

Mouth: It starts out very watery with just a touch of sweetness. The vanilla continously move forward and a tiny spicyness appears on the tip of the toungue. A bitterness builds up in the back. The grain spirit is very pronounced and ”boozy”. It’s not a very nice mouthfeel.

Finish: The harsh grain spirit flare up and soon gets replaced with vanilla once again. It quickly switches over to a very bitter and somewhat unpleasant oakiness. The oakiness stays for a pretty long finish, which in this case isn’t a good thing. This is a bad whisky and it should not be consumed neat.

Additional information
The Golden Shoe/Golden Goal whiskies are released as limited editions for soccer championships. The content is not disclosed, but it’s bottled by Schwarze & Schlichte Markenvertreib GmbH & Co. KG.

Dundee, Unspecified

The Dundee 10 YO – Vintage Reserve

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very sweet and slightly fruity. At first there’s a thick and heavy vanilla and butterscotch sweetness which covers everything else. When it settles a green apple fruitiness comes through together with the grain spirit. It’s very mild and round without any pointy bits. With time the butterscotch and vanilla shifts towards more of a toffee note and a hint of the oak shines through, otherwise it basically stays the same throughout the nosing. This is a decent nose but it’s not especially interesting.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet layer of vanilla and toffee and a metallic and ethanol heavy background. The oakiness pushes through and it’s a bitter and not so pleasant oak. The toffee switches to a metallic butterscotch coming from the grain spirit. There’s also a hint of cinnamon floating around. The fruitiness is less noticable and it feels like there’s a very small variety of red fruits somewhere within. It’s still very mild and round but it doesn’t feel flat.

Finish: The impact is rather weak and uneventful. The metallic butterscotch note returns with the oakiness and a mild minty note. Everything else never really pops up and everything just crumbles and leaves the oakiness behind. It’s not a nice oakiness at all. It feels bitter and intrusive. This is not a good whisky, but it’s a bit better than the average cheap blend. It should be used in cocktails and not consumed neat.

Additional information
This is made by Angus Dundee Distillers. The content is not disclosed, but the company owns two single malt distilleries, which probably contributes to the taste. Those are Tomintoul and Glencadam. The grain whisky part comes from the Lowlands.

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Ballantine’s, Unspecified

Ballantine’s Finest – Hard Fired

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and sharp. At first there’s a mix of red berries and green apples sitting on top of a very sharp and unpleasant distillate. Vanilla and butterscotch notes are sitting in the background. The heavily charred oak is coming through quite clear and the charcoal is very much a central part of the whole. With time in the glass the sharpness sudsides and it becomes mild and mellow. This is a decent nose for a cheap blend.

Mouth: It starts out with a big hit of butterscotch and vanilla with a lining of mixed fruits and charcoal. The sweetness is a bit unpleasant like aspartam and it’s mixed with a sweet liquorice note. There’s a nice mellow peppery note within and a not so nice bitterness. It’s sharp and metallic in the back and there’s a wet cardboard note as well. The charcoal slowly increases in intensity for those who are patient.

Finish: The transition is a bit flat and the vanilla, butterscotch and aspartam sweetness sort of just continue on. After a second or two there’s a brighter fruitiness arriving as top notes. The sharp ethanol layer is still making up most of the background together with a slightly bitter oakiness. The charcoal disappear fast as well as the fruitiness and it doesn’t take long for it to fall apart. All that’s left is a flat oakiness and some aspartam sweetness. This is not the best of whiskies but there are some decent casks involved and it lives up to its ”hard fired” claim.

Additional information
This blend was released in 2016. It’s aged in second fill american ex-bourbon barrels. The special thing about this is that the barrels are emptied, then ”hard fired” (recharred) and then the whisky is put back in the barrel for a finishing period. Also, it’s supposedly not the same blend as the original.

Stewart’s, Unspecified

Stewart’s Finest Blended Whisky

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and thin. At first there’s a generic sweetness and a harsh grain spirit note. The oak is surprisingly detectable from the start. It’s a generic oakiness without any specific markers though. There is a thin layer of fruitiness with mainly orange peel coming through. After some time in the glass there’s butterscotch and vanilla arriving in the center. Everything seems to be decently balanced and it’s doing a good job of keeping the bad elements in check. This is not a great nose, but it’s not too offensive.

Mouth: It starts out very bitter in the back and with butterscotch and a generic sweetness up front. The harsh notes reside somewhere in the middle. There’s a metallic note in the back and a sprinkle of black pepper on top. The bitterness keeps on pushing forward to the point where it becomes unpleasant. The oakiness is still detectable within the bitterness but it is not doing anything to help out.

Finish: There’s not much of a change in the transition to the finish. It’s sweet up front and very bitter and metallic in the back. The fruitiness shines through for a moment but disappears just as quick. It doesn’t take long for everything to die down except the oak and the metallic note. This is not a good whisky and it feels and tastes cheap. The nose is the best part and it should not be consumed neat.

Additional information
The Stewart’s brand is owned by Whyte & MacKay and is blended by Richard Patterson. The ingredients aren’t disclosed.

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Peter Dawson, Unspecified

Peter Dawson Special

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and metallic. At first there’s a big cloud of harsh grain spirit with a sharp metallic note in the center. An artificial butterscotch sweetness is starting out in the back, but moves forward with time in the glass. When the harshness settles a liquorice note starts to make itself known somewhere in the middle. There are also notes of heather and cardboard floating around. With some imagination one could find a hint of ripe red apples too. This is not an especially nice nose with a heavy lean towards the cheap grain whisky part.

Mouth: It starts out surprisingly spicy and sweet, but beneath lies a thin watery core. A heather and honey note sits on top together with the same artificial butterscotch found on the nose. There’s a hefty bitterness in the background and it’s not a nice one. There’s a thin anise note in there too. It’s not as sharp and metallic as on the nose, but it’s just as bad. With time the butterscotch becomes more pronounced and takes over.

Finish: The finish starts out with a second or two without any flavours coming through. When it picks up speed it’s the bitterness intertwined with an oakiness that completely takes over. A thin hint of the butterscotch do stay as a top layer, but the not so pleasant bitterness is very pronounced throughout the finish. The oak is somewhat dry and it’s like grey old oak planks. When everything fades, the metallic note returns and stays in the mouth for a long time. This is a cheap blend and it matches the pretences. This should not be served as a neat drink.

Additional information
This blend was first created in 1890 by Peter Dawson. It’s been connected in the past to Auchnagie, Convalmore, Towiemore and Balmenach. Today it’s owned by Diageo and the current content of this blend isn’t disclosed.

Bell’s, Unspecified

Bell’s 8 YO – Extra Special

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and harsh. A big bucket of butterscotch together with the harshness from the grain spirit is first to come through. There are some assorted fresh fruits in the background as well as some vanilla and some sweet liquorice. This is a middle of the road blended scotch nose. The age hides most of the sharp edges though.

Mouth: It starts out pretty well rounded but the harsh grain note is still shining through from the background. The focus still lies on a very pronounced butterscotch with vanilla and a touch of honey. The fruit notes are still coming through, but they are still not recognizable as individual parts. The oak starts to make it’s presense known and it just adds a slightly unpleasant bitterness.

Finish: A small but noticable spicyness comes through together with the butterscotch and vanilla. There’s a bitterness from the start and it turns into oak and a bad cup of coffee. The assorted fruits stay through the finish. This is a standard blend with the sharp edges removed by age.

Additional information
This blend is made from up to 40 different whiskies. Blair Athol, Dufftown, Glenkinchie, Caol Ila and Inchgower are identified as parts of the whole. The extra special had the 8 yo age statement between 1994-2008.

Cluny, Unspecified

Cluny Blended Scotch Whisky

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is harsh and slightly unpleasant. It starts out with a very heavy and rough dose of the grain spirit. When it settles it turns over to malt and a feint butterscotch character. It’s also got a metallic smell to it. It’s basically one-dimensional and doesn’t produce any other detectable aromas. This is a bad nose.

Mouth: It starts out very sweet and mild with the slightly bitter and artificial butterscotch note up front. It still leans heavily towards the unpleasant grain spirit. There is a slight hint of dried out grey oak planks in the background.

Finish: An immidiate drop in flavour makes everything just disappear. All that’s left is the dry and bitter oakiness and a taste of the ethanol. This is not a good whisky and it shouldn’t be consumed neat. The entire thing is a bit muted and the whole is not very protruding, which makes it a good choice for mixing; If hiding the whisky flavours is the goal.

Additional information
The Cluny brand is owned by Whyte & McKay. It’s supposed to contain up to 30 different malt and grain whiskies from Scotland.