Sheep Dip

Nose: toffee or caramel fudge, red apple, honey cheerios, floral, malt, toast Palate: light, young, pear, has sharp edges and a sourness Finish: nutty spiciness, sourness Last 16, Match 6: Sheep Dip versus BenRiach Curiositas 10yo Sheep Dip is a blended malt whose brand ownership has shifted multiple times, now belonging to Ian Macleod Distillers. It was formerly owned by Whyte & Mackay, and it appears that Richard Patterson was still involved, or at least was until recently. The aroma is quite good (referring to the whisky, not Patterson) with a fresh, malty scent, but it can't compete with the sweet smokiness of Curiositas. Despite being a blended malt, it has a grainy taste and a metallic tang that suggests a youthfulness contradicting the official description of a blend of 16 different single malts aged between 8 and 21 years. The finish is short with a pleasant nutty spiciness, but is marred by a slight sourness. Both the palate and finish fall short compared to the deeper, sherry-influenced peat notes of the Curiositas. It's unanimous, and so, stripped of its dignity and pride, it sheepishly exits the competition. The extreme burden of a whisky enthusiast. My backlog of samples and miniatures is too large. Like choosing what to watch next on Netflix, deciding on a dram often takes twice as long as drinking it. So I devised a brilliant plan. I've selected sixteen Scotch whiskies aged 12 years or younger, or non-age-statement, to compete in a Scotch Deathmatch. This is my motivation to clear out the samples. Follow along if you're interested (and really, why wouldn't you be?). Oh, the excitement!

Nose: Wisps of generic fruit, oak, grain, etc., but it's not very striking and strongly resembles the nose of a blended scotch. Palate: The entry is spicy and somewhat sweet, leaning towards warmth as it sits in the mouth, then suddenly bursting with harsh sour malt and bitter coffee. The texture is unremarkable. Finish: Short. Faint malty notes from the late palate contend with sour grains in the aftertaste. If you encountered this in a blind tasting, I guarantee you'd guess it was a bottom-shelf blended scotch. There's a thin harshness to both the nose and palate, and an unwelcome ethanol burn. It is certainly the least distinctive or engaging blended malt I've tasted. I'd place it on par with Johnnie Walker Red Label (to which it bears some similarity). Even a small amount of water diminishes the nose but does, thankfully, slightly soften the palate. It's undoubtedly best as a mixer with soft drinks, where (much like blended scotch) the harsh finish is balanced by the sweetness of cola, lemonade, ginger ale, or similar. My initial thought was to award this 1.5 stars, but I'm increasing it to 2 based on its performance as a mixer. However, it is neither good value nor deserving of the official rating of 82. I will not be purchasing another bottle. (PS - I strongly suspect this is an opportunistic blend and the recipe is somewhat flexible). "Adequate": 70/100 (2 stars)

This is a 43.5% ABV version. It has a honey yellow color with streaks of lacing inside the glass that lengthen with swirling. The initial aroma is brown sugar and toffee, with notes of burnt sugar like crème brûlée and marzipan. Secondary scents include cream, butter, and barley, with just a hint of old oak. The flavor is dominated by brown sugar and sweet caramel, along with butterscotch, butter, and cream/milk. Some musty hay is present, finishing with a slight citrusy lemon drop. The finish is as pleasant as the start: mild chocolate with a secondary cooling mint. Menthol tobacco ash is noticeable, with a slight saltiness at the very end. At $31, Sheep Dip is a solid addition to the collection, offering friendly flavors of brown sugar and caramel, a hint of citrus, and a slightly salty chocolate finish.

This is quite similar to their blended scotch, Pigs nose, which is decent. This one is better. Poured neat, the nose offers bready malt, hints of light apple cinnamon and tea leaves, with a touch of barrel and char. The palate follows suit with sweet malt, oaky dough, and char. Perhaps a faint wisp of smoke, but more like a long-extinguished fire. The finish is drying malt and char with lingering wood notes. Overall, I find it pretty enjoyable. Being a vatted malt, there's no grain harshness. However, it's a bit pricey for a malt blend, in the mid-to-high $30s. Deanston virgin oak has a similar profile, tastes better in my opinion, and costs less. Still, I'm not disappointed with Sheep Dip and even give it a recommend score of 81/100. If you find it at a reasonable price, it's worth trying if you enjoy malty, 'scotchy' scotch.

Nose is quite sharp: brine, honey, citrus, oatmeal, vanilla, floral. Palate: Tangy with vanilla, honey, and citrus. Finish is quite spirity: some coffee and oak on the back end. Reminds me of old pulteney. I've put off trying this for a while due to the price, ABV, and a couple of negative reviews. It definitely outperforms expectations, and its flavors are appealing to me.

Tasted in a small snifter. Appearance: Pale gold Scent: Cooked apples, cinnamon, red grape skin, a hint of smoke. Taste: Campfire embers, cooked fruit, cherry, oak, cinnamon, nutmeg Aftertaste: Faint smoke, oak spice, medium duration. This is a treasure for anyone seeking a drink with a smoky, fruity nose and flavor profile; it's worth picking up.