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Fahrenheit 173 - Aged Spirits
"If it's not good enough to drink slowly, then it's not worth drinking"
Five cheap blended Scotches | 3 Apr 2013 | ||
This time I've tasted Scotches in the €9 to €12 range. The cheapest one was the worst but the dearest one was not the best!
Major Gunn's:
The nose is spirity (although not harsh) with mostly grain whisky. Vodka-like but with nice notes of
toffee and honey. The palate is light and clean but bland and a bit spirity. The finish is disappointing
and (thankfully) short. Very little malt whisky in this (it probably contains more colouring than malt).
(76 p)
Black & White:
Quiet yet complex nose with notes of toffee, vanilla, apple, oak, peat and malt. Also slightly earthy.
Light, fairly sweet palate. Develops malt, oak and a little peat. Oaky, peaty finish - unexpectedly powerful
and surprisingly nice. All in all a little rough but has a nice peatiness.
(79 p)
(I expected more from this classic brand, especially since this is the most expensive whisky in the flight)
Dougherty's:
The nose is quiet, a little spirity and slightly earthy but has a nice note of fudge. The palate is quite light and
mild with notes of custard, citrus, mint and caramel. A little rum-like. The finish is oaky, spicy and a little hot.
All in all surprisingly nice after the dubious nose.
(80 p)
King George IV:
Quiet nose with mostly grain whisky but also a little oak. Mild, sweet palate with notes of custard and
citrus. Quite nice. Develops oak and a note of peat. Oaky, spicy finish, also a little peaty and slightly earthy.
Grows fairly hot. All in all uneven but the palate is not bad.
(80 p)
Glen Scanlan:
Nice, quite fruity nose with notes of fudge and crème brûlée, as well as hints of peat and sherry wood.
The palate is light, sweet and mild. Clean and fresh with notes of orange, allspice and a little peat. The
finish is oaky and a little spicy. Warming. All in all mild, complex and quite nice. Much better than 10 years ago.
(82 p)
(Not bad for €11! The highest scoring blend in my QPR ranking)
Related link:
All my tasting notes of Scotch blended whisky
The same list, but sorted by QPR
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