Grants Family Reserve
40% abv
Score: 70/100
A review a couple of years in the offing. For no other reason than a slightly traumatizing first meet and compromised first impression (if ever we raise a glass together I’ll fill you in). I like to think that by this point I am coming in with no bias, but who knows what residual shudders are still going on up in that mass of gray matter. The subconscious is a tricky beast.
So…from what I understand (unsubstantiated rumor, at best, but seems plausible)…dash of ‘Fiddich…splash of Balvenie…couple others in smaller proportion…and a heaping helping o’ grains to prop it up. Correct me if I am hearing wrong.
What we end up with is…(drum roll)…a blend. No more. No less. Certainly not great, but neither is it offensive.
The nose is malty and grain-rich. Slightly feinty and just barely staying afoot under the weight of caramel, mashy notes and a dense cloudy homogeneity. A wee lot of peat as well. If I’m to be truly honest…this is why blends get a bad rep. This is simply boring and lifeless. Hunting for individual fruit notes and such is nearly a lost cause. I know they must be there. Water would normally open a whisky up and allow some of those lighter notes to blossom, but as this is only at 40% out of the bottle…if you have to add water…what’s the point?
A mouthful yields more of that weighty maltiness. Sweet barley and dull caramel. Only here do we begin to get hints of what may be dried fruits. The finish…meh.
Comment: Yet another one where JM is off his f’n rocker
– Reviewed by: Curt
– Photo: Curt