1495 Blended Scotch

Nose: Pungent and rubbery with alcohol easily detected. There's a jumble of typical “scotch whisky” scents including an indistinct sherry-like fruitiness, but the rubbery quality that indicates a heavy dose of young, inferior grain whisky is persistent. It brings to mind Grant’s Reserve but is slightly better as there is a very mild fragrant cereal note, similar to the smell of a muesli bar. Palate: Sweet and hot upon entry, shifting towards a sweet astringency on the tongue. Gritty (yes, gritty - not gristy) cereal notes and a faint hint of some fruit as it rests in the mouth. The texture is fairly neutral. Again, it resembles a watered-down version of Grants. There are also moments when the taste of ethanol is clearly perceived on the palate. Finish: Short. Harsh semi-sour cereal notes that fade into a surprisingly sweet aftertaste. One thing I must concede, it avoids the typical bitter metallic finish of many inexpensive blends. It earns a quarter-star for that. This is a very cheap blended scotch – the least expensive available in Australia at AUS$33 a bottle – and a quick smell and taste reveal it is very grain-forward. I would be surprised if there is more than 5% malt content in this blend. What you are experiencing here is essentially just grain spirit that has aged for the required 3 years in tired old casks on their last legs, plus a scattering of various young malt whiskies. You will only find this in Australia as it is exclusively produced for the domestic market by Pinnacle Drinks, a Sydney-based company that offers a variety of budget-priced sourced beverages under house brands (e.g., Nelson County bourbon, Buckeye rum, Houndstooth gin, etc.). Their business approach is to undercut the bottom-shelf “name” brands by a few dollars and they are sold exclusively through supermarkets and liquor stores owned by supermarkets. The whisky is distilled, blended, and bottled in Scotland, but the source is not identified – it could be a major producer or a third-party blender/broker, and it is entirely possible that the exact same product is sold elsewhere under a different name. It is a superior whisky to some of the other bottom-shelf blends like Label 5, Castle Rock, or Highland Earl, but it is not quite as good as those on the next shelf up, where you will find whiskies like J&B and Vat 69. By the way – dilution does not benefit this spirit as it reveals bitter and harsh notes. It is just barely acceptable, but personally, I would spend a few extra dollars and purchase something worth drinking. “Inferior”: 65/100 (1.5 stars)