Dewar's Ilegal Smooth

Nose: Subtle malt with faint orchard and stone-fruit notes. Agave spirit aromas are detectable but understated; a blind tasting wouldn't reveal it as mescal or tequila cask, and certainly not the brand. It lacks the boldness for such specific identification. A very pleasing, faint hint of ash underlies it. Palate: Exhibits the familiar sweet and mildly fruity/cereal Dewar’s signature style initially, transitioning into a developing mescal character. Spice is noted early, but instead of ginger, it shifts to mild vegetal and peppery notes, with a background trace of ash. While distinct from standard Dewar's White Label (or 12 year old), the mescal cask influence becomes clear only when you know it's finished in such a cask, after which its presence in the finish is evident and effective. The texture is good for a blend, with the creamy, honeyed qualities from the Aberfeldy distillate foundation. Finish: Very brief. Cereal and a whisper of peppery honey with a vegetal undertone at the very end, fading rapidly. Almost no trace remains on the palate a minute after swallowing. This is the second expression from Dewar’s cask-finished “smooth” line I’m sampling. Like the mizunara cask version from yesterday, it offers a distinct finish. I'm curious if the port cask Portuguese Smooth will follow suit. There's little else to add. This blended scotch is perfectly fine for relaxed sipping neat or on ice, works as a mixer, and is reasonably priced. It provides something beyond the standard White Label blend, and I would gladly repurchase it. I prefer it slightly over the mizunara cask expression, resulting in a one-point increase in its rating, matching my previous score for Dewar's 12 year old. “Above Average”: 81/100 (3 stars)

N: Heavy malt with a sweet fruity tingle/burn. I'm not very familiar with tequila or mezcal, so I'm unsure if I'm detecting any cask influence. There's something vaguely vegetal and crisp here (like a green bell pepper) with an undertone of herbal smoke or ash. P: A little thin but leaning towards creamy. Immediately greeted by smoky honey with dark caramel. This is followed by more of the bell pepper, but also cracked black pepper. I perceive the tequila as the interaction of vegetal peppery spice and sticky honey-caramel. I get very little from this. F: Short. Surprisingly creamy, reminiscent of oaked chardonnay, with a good dose of more vegetal pepper spice and some grainy ash. Well. I honestly don't know what to say about this. It tastes like a generic blended malt but with a vaguely interesting vegetal and peppery character that distinguishes it from bottom-shelf generic drams. I'm not fully convinced I know enough about mezcal or Dewars to pass any judgment, but for me, it's a forgettable yet perfectly acceptable, 'meh'. Thanks again to the organizer. Whisky tasting #248 [Pictured here with a replica (orange) reconstruction (brown) of the original Austalopithecus afarensis skull, better known as; Lucy. At 3.2 million years old Lucy (or A.L. 288-1) was discovered in Hadar, Ethiopia in 1974. Her jaw shares features with both apes and other early hominids. Although the brain size was relatively small, the rest of the skeleton indicated she walked upright, supporting the idea that bipedalism preceded the development of large brains. And why ‘Lucy’? The night she was found the paleontological team celebrated in camp with a cassette of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds playing on repeat.]

For those times you’ve browsed a whisky selection, seeking something different without breaking the bank, that’s exactly how I felt spotting this peculiar Dewars with a potential typo on the label. Having sampled this brand extensively, I was keen to give it a go. The aroma presents a typical blended profile; notes of rich malt richness mingled with sharp ethanol from the grain. There are hints of honey, concentrated fruit preserves, and the slightest trace of char and smoke far in the background. The Mezcal character is not yet apparent. Initially, the taste offers more syrupy honey and oats, swiftly followed by a touch of mild spice and then a subtle, moist earthy smoke, likely from the Mezcal cask influence. However, it vanishes almost as quickly as it’s perceived, leaving a fleeting taste experience of mere moments before leaving you wanting more. If only its alcohol concentration were higher, it could be significantly improved. The finish is virtually absent, which is typical for most Dewars, excluding some of their more mature bottlings. Does it justify the $30 price tag? Absolutely, it fulfills its purpose of being palatable and unobtrusive for the cost, but if you tasted this blind without knowing about the Mezcal finish, I doubt you’d identify it. Purchase it if you require an economical blend, not if you're anticipating an unconventional experience.

I'm not devoted to Dewar's, but I appreciate their products. I consider it the scotch counterpart to Old No. 7: reliable, steady, and reasonably priced. So, while browsing the local liquor store, pondering what might excite my palate this evening, this was an easy $25 purchase. Immediately, I detect the familiar character of Dewar's White Label. It's a traditional blended scotch, possessing a slight grain spirit sharpness that's a touch more than I prefer, but not unpleasantly so. The middle palate is where things get intriguing. A pleasant sweet, vegetal agave note emerges, accompanied by a hint of non-peat smoke and a whisper of mezcal that lingers as you exhale. The finish is so brief it's almost imperceptible, with no harshness, and the "SMOOTH" descriptor is accurate. Nothing about this is objectionable for those who enjoy scotch whisky and aren't rigidly exclusive about single malts. My rating system places average, common products around a bell curve, with most scores falling between 2 and 3. Scores above 4 represent the exceptional, while below 2 are spirits I'd rather skip (like Black Velvet). This falls squarely in the average range, and I'm adding a quarter point for its originality. It's an interesting flavor experience, and I will definitely enjoy this bottle. I might even buy another one later.

After appreciating the Portuguese Smooth, I opted for the Ilegal expression. It has a pale gold hue and a sweet, fruity aroma. Initially, it's quite light and remarkably smooth on the tongue with pleasant citrus notes, but that sweetness quickly recedes, making way for the mezcal's influence, which imparts a sour yet agreeable finish. Unlike the Portuguese Smooth, this doesn't suggest it's a Dewar's. In sum, a very pleasant dram for warmer weather. A small addition of water immediately softened the sour finish. I haven't tried it on ice, but I imagine it would be enjoyable. I favor the Portuguese Smooth as it better suits my preferences, but I don't regret this acquisition, particularly given its price point just over $20. If you're a fan of mezcal or tequila, this is certainly worth a try.

I finally tried this after seeing several favorable or somewhat favorable reviews. I'm pleased I did. It has a way of working. This is a light whisky blend, so light on malt it's difficult for me to classify as Scotch. In a blind tasting, I doubt I could identify it. The mescal cask influence is clearly present, offering a hint of grassy agave and the characteristic smoky essence of traditional mescal. Many would mistake this for a delicate mescal, perhaps one finished in a former whisky barrel, in a true blind test. If this blend contained more malt, I suspect the overall flavor balance would be compromised. Regardless, it's an enjoyable alternative drink and costs only $22 where I am. Cheers!