Famous Grouse

Review #2 - Whisk(e)y #2 Nose - light, sweet, with aromas of dark chocolate and fruit. Palate - initially drastically different from the nose, being harsh, with a strong and persistent alcohol burn. The aromas started to develop slightly on the second sip, having sweet, oaky notes, slightly fruity and with some pepper tingling the tongue (maybe even a slight smokiness to it). Finish - short-medium, with a slightly bitter note. However, once it reaches the stomach it is very acidic, heavy, dry, an aspect which I do not like at all. The nose is above expectations, the taste is ok, but the acidic sensation breaks the entire experience. Rating System: 5.0 - Perfect 4.5 - Exceptional 4.0 - Very Good 3.5 - Good 3.0 - Decent 2.5 - Average 2.0 - Below Average 1.5 - Barely Drinkable 1.0 - Undrinkable 0.5 - JB

According to a quick Google search, this is the best selling whiskey in Scotland. Is there wisdom in the crowd? Let’s see. Of the Grouse offerings, I’ve only had this, and the naked malt. But they both have this crazy, intense, malty, vanilla, caramel, baking spices and Manuka honey on the nose, which I find super appealing. Easy entry on the palate. It’s somewhat viscous with more honey and vanilla and a hint of smoke, barley and berries . Finish is somewhat short with some spices arriving late. Keeping in mind that this is an inexpensive blend, I say the crowd is wise. Nothing wrong with this. In fact, I find many things right with this whiskey. And combined with Disaronno, this makes a fantastic Godfather mixed drink. 

Famous Grouse is a solid blended scotch. It's quite useful in cocktails but it isnt exactly complex or unique. I would classify it as a decent everyday dram. The nose is a touch bland with some light malt and smoke. The palate leads with some sweetness, with sherry, toffee, honey and grain. The finish is not very long with a touch of spice and no burn. If you plan to use this in cocktails or as a simple everyday dram then you cant go wrong with Famous Grouse, just dont expect to be wowed.

Nose: Honey Malt and butter cookies. Barrel char and dried red fruits. Palate: Light viscosity. Nearly mirrors the nose. Malty, honey, shortbread cookie, barrel char, and mild spice. Finish: Fairly short. Sweet and dry barrel spices. Toasted grain. Summary: Nails the profile of an every day sipper. Cheap, easy, and good enough to satisfy after a long day of work. Won't blow you away, but not everything is meant to.

Nose: Mild, orange, malty Palate: Sweet and fruity with an ethanol taste Finish: Very short, citrus and a little bit of an astringent and bitter taste Overall: Very one dimensional but the flavour that is there is okay, you can tell it's mostly young grain whisky but it's to be expected at such a low price, definitely not bad but it's boring compared to higher quality whiskies.

The Grouse is a great daily sipper. The cost is so comfortable that it works great when mixing a refreshing cocktail, but the quality is so outstanding that it is a comfortable sipper. It doesn't have the complexity of an aged single malt, but too many people, IMO, are focused on price and age as deal breakers when judging Scotch. $31.99 for 1.75 liters.