Dewar's 12 Year The Ancestor (Discontinued)

My prior encounters with Dewars have mostly been with the White Label, which I find quite harsh. I consider Johnnie Black a respectable dram, so receiving this as a gift made me eager to sample Dewars' comparable offering, despite my reservations about the White Label. Nose: Citrus zest and vanilla. Tropical hints emerge from lime, papaya, grapefruit, and honeydew. Toffee notes are present, alongside apple tart and nougat. Hints of apricot and pear. A pleasant, soapy aroma. Subtle white pepper and cinnamon spice. Palate: Continuing with lime, orange, and honeydew, joined by lemon. Caramel and vanilla dominate, with cranberry also detected. A flavor reminiscent of butterscotch candy from a party mix and some orange confection. Black and white pepper, plus cinnamon. The grain character is strong but harmonizes well with the fruit elements. Finish: Grapefruit and lime, with a sun-dried tomato undertone. Cocoa, clove, nutmeg, red pepper, and cinnamon. The finish is brief to moderate, as expected for a 40% ABV spirit. I'm genuinely impressed by this expression. The leap from Johnnie Red to Johnnie Black is quite significant, so it's understandable that a similar improvement occurs between Dewars White Label and The Ancestor. Excellent nose, solid palate, acceptable finish. At its price point, value for money undoubtedly enhances an already pleasing whisky. A score of 3.75/5. This changes my past perception of Dewars. I'm keen to explore their higher age statement selections later on.

Appearance - Rich copper. Smell - Powerful scents of honey, vanilla, oak spice, sweetness, crisp red and yellow apples, and alcohol; feels oily. Flavor - Initially spicy with underlying sweetness, then grainy and oily towards the end, featuring malt and a hint of smoke. The sharpness of the spice is brief, complemented by fruit notes mirroring the aroma. Aftertaste - Lingering, dry, and leathery with oak, possibly a whisper of cocoa, and significant bitterness. The intense bitterness overwhelms the sweet and spicy flavors. A few drops of water alter the finish, reducing the bitterness (though it remains subtly present) and revealing dark fruit like figs and raisins. It also enhances the initial sweetness, which is quite pleasing. Compared to Chivas 12, Dewar's 12 presents as darker, lacking herbal or green notes, but possessing more bitterness. Diluting it with water significantly improves the experience and palatability for my taste, bringing forward more sherry characteristics. Chilling it on ice mutes the flavors, emphasizing grain and malt. Rating Scale: 5.0 - Legendary 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

Similar to Aberfeldy 12, this is a long-established resident of (Location). It's much less refined, obviously, and I don't understand why it even says 12 years on the bottle because we all know this is a blend created by numerous whiskeys. It's decent. It has some of the honey-rich qualities of Aberfeldy, but there's an unrefined roughness to it that I can only describe as 'Grandpa-ish.' Not the cool, 'I don't give a f***' grandpa, but more like the grandpa who has a pile of the same beer cans in the garage and tosses them crumpled into a bin near the furnace when finished, demanding another. That guy. That guy is Dewars 12.

I’ve never been particularly fond of Dewars, so I had rather low hopes for their 12 year expression. While it exceeded my expectations somewhat, I still wouldn’t seek it out for another taste. The aroma starts with smoke and citrus zest, followed by hints of dried fruit, possibly apricot. On the palate, I detect green apple and a subtle peatiness. It’s certainly sweeter than anticipated. The finish is moderately long, featuring a mild warmth, salinity, and spice. I could see this working as a daily drinker, but I didn’t find it especially captivating. Given its reasonable price point, I’d still opt for Johnnie Walker or Famous Grouse.

An elegant blended Scotch from Dewar's Distillery in Scotland. It's a combination of up to forty carefully chosen 12-year-old malt and grain Scotch whiskies, then blended and aged for an additional six months until the flavors meld, guided by Dewar's Master Blender. It begins with floral notes and hints of dark fruits, creamy custard, marzipan, honey, and toasted grains. The body develops notes of granola with blackberries and almonds, warm buttered toast, anise, and spicy smoke, leading to a long and rich conclusion with notes of roasted grains, copper, and iron. October 2021 / August 2022.

This was my first experience with an aged Scotch, and it was very easy to approach. The aroma has a musty cereal scent, similar to honey nut Cheerios and ginger ale. The palate offers initial sweetness like dried apricot, quickly shifting to candied ginger and pepper in the middle. The finish has subtle oak and more pepper with an oily mouthfeel. The finish is short to medium with a trace of orange zest and just a hint of smoke. Overall, it's a decent beginner Scotch and will be a reliable choice.