Grant's Family Reserve

A companion received a bottle of this for his birthday. Without any prior knowledge of this blended spirit, I could already sense it would be rough. When you see terms like "Finest" and "Extremely Rare" on the label, you anticipate a poor experience. I'm quite puzzled by the connection to Glenfiddich and Balvenie – do they truly also produce those brands? I'm checking their website as I write this review and I can hardly believe they are also accountable for those two labels. The aroma smells like an inexpensive blend. Ethanol and bready yeast assail your senses. Digging a bit deeper reveals apple and... burnt candy corn? The initial taste is light, and indeed the entire flavor profile is quite delicate and monotonous. I'm detecting some spicy cinnamon, dry brush, honey, and as the taste progresses toward the finish, some faint musty prunes. The finish is... well, where precisely is it? Perhaps it concluded close to the taste with the mildly musty prunes. I'm hesitant to take a larger sip to see if I perceive more of a finish, but as I do, I discover a deeply bitter, almost medicinal quality emerges with the musty prune flavor. It reminds me of very unpleasant cough syrup. Disgusting. I suppose if I were gifted a bottle of this, I'd be grateful it wasn't Scoresby or Glen Ness, but that's setting an incredibly low bar. I've heard they now bottle this as "Grant's Triple Wood." Regardless, please never spend your money on this. I looked online and found a 1.75L costs $26. Look – if you only have $26 to spend on whisky, perhaps just buy some cheaper liquor and skip this.

Nose: Gentle and pleasant, though the alcohol is quite strong. Sweet, vanilla, a light sherry wine note, red berry fruitiness, preserved figs, apples, strawberries, a hint of caramel, a hint of toffee, citrus, peppery, and a woody touch reminiscent of European oak. Nice aromas, despite the alcohol's warmth, suggesting a decent amount of single malt in the mix. Palate: Relatively matches the nose, but the alcohol is much more prominent here. A harsh bitterness is also noticeable, but it doesn't ruin the whisky. Sweet, European oak woodiness, peppery, citrus, slightly buttery, and red berry fruitiness. However, these notes are easily overcome by the alcohol's heat and the harsh bitterness. Finish: Short, sweet, bitter, and warm. Overall Impressions: An entry-level blended scotch whisky, very affordable, and with good complexity for its class. It was superseded by the Triple Wood version, a very similar profile. The noticeable alcohol is this whisky's weak point; it would be much more enjoyable if it were less warm. I recommend it for sweet cocktails or, at most, with ice.

I noticed this bottom-shelf blended scotch at my local liquor store while searching for something new. I recalled that the UK-only Ailsa Bay whisky I recently tried was a primary supplier for Grant's Family Reserve, so I decided to purchase an inexpensive blend that I felt I was already somewhat familiar with. Plus, for $19, the worst-case scenario was having a bottle for when I wanted a scotch & soda. The scotch & soda craving struck tonight, so what the hell, I might as well pour a dram and give it a review neat as well. It's a standard 80 proof and appears very thin in the Glencairn. It produces no legs when I give it a swirl. On the nose, there's a very faint oak and a bit of honey sweetness. There isn't much happening on the tongue either. Weak oak tannins and muted vanilla. It has no kick whatsoever and finishes very boringly. A slight flash of warmth that quickly disappears. In soda, it really tames the bitterness of Coke and creates a very sweet cocktail. It'll get you drunk, but that's about it. I cannot recommend it neat or in your cola of choice. Very bland. Look elsewhere, my friends. Cheers.

I'm giving it only two stars, but they are very strong ones. The nose is truly bland, and the subtle scent it offers is quite sweet. The taste is similarly bland, but then it delivers a strong impact. There's nothing distinctive within it to capture my taste buds. So far, I've been quite critical and given a very negative review. But... its true strength lies in its blandness, so to speak. I tried it in an Old Fashioned with some bitters, and it truly allows everything to shine. You still get the whisky flavor, which is nice, but unlike most better spirits, which dominate cocktails, this one lets everything else have a voice in the final outcome, which is very pleasing. So, if you're looking for something for cocktails, particularly an Old Fashioned, then choose this. You'll be surprised how much the orange peel, bitters, and sugar will interact with your senses while the whisky provides the subtle background notes.

Whiskey #9 from the 12 affordable blends I'm evaluating. Nose: Some grain, wood, and faint sherry scents, but nothing special. A strange rubbery character. Palate: An intense alcohol entry packed with oak tannins, reminiscent of over-steeped tea. No complexity whatsoever. Finish: Sour and disappointingly prolonged, with a persistent burn. Ah, Grant's Family Reserve - the blend I really dislike. I wish they would indeed keep this for family and not offer it to unsuspecting customers. This was worse than just not good - it was harsh and actively unpleasant straight, and it's one of the least appealing widely recognized cheap blends. Dilute it with a sweet mixer and it's almost tolerable, but the bitter and sour taste remains on your tongue. My sole advice for this is to avoid it. It is not the absolute worst blended scotch you can purchase, but there are many superior blends available, so why bother with it? "Poor": 62/100 (1 star)

Exploring the bottom shelf for value with this Scotch. Poured neat, it shows light, thin legs. The nose has mild fruit, pear, and apple notes, with some gentle malt honey and a faint smokiness. The mouthfeel is softer than anticipated. The palate features smoked honey, caramel malt, and barrel wood with char. After some time in the glass, a milk chocolate note emerges. Grain alcohol is certainly present but not overpowering. The finish is medium, with drying wood, lingering smoke, char, and malt. For the $15 I paid, this is decent. It's not exceptional or deeply complex, just a pleasant, inexpensive blend with good smoke. I'd give the edge to Teachers, but this is among the better low-cost blends. It's better than JW Red or Dewars White (which isn't saying much).........72/100 blend score..........I'm not sure I like the unusual bottle, though.