Three Scottish Brothers 20 Year Single Grain

Nose: Quite rich with gentle sweetness, a bit of alcohol, some toastiness, and light nuttiness. Palate: A very flat character. But it's sweet and smooth. It's almost a little malty in its sweetness, but not exactly. It has that nectar quality. Sometimes coconut appears and disappears. It tastes like a 12-year-old malt scotch by typical standards, but I could see 15 years. There's a trace of spice - maybe ginger and clove, but I'm straining to even detect that. It's genuinely frustrating, but I'm finding it very difficult to identify the primary sweetness. It's just the most generic scotch sweetness. Lightly toasty. Neither particularly fresh nor particularly tired barrels. I believe I'm detecting vanilla. I want to find something fruity in here, but I don't think it's genuinely present. Very balanced, but not even slightly complex. If your sole concern is having smooth whisky, this is an option for you. There's remarkably little happening here, but at the same time I find myself appreciating the maturity. At 20 years, I anticipate a single grain to still be somewhat harsh and taste young. Although this does not taste super old and it certainly isn't complex, I appreciate its clean profile that just nails the single flavor. It reminds me of Pure Scot Virgin Oak in how monotone but still nicely flavored it is. I think this is even a bit less complex than the Pure Scot, somehow. It would be a good introductory scotch for someone learning the flavor profile. Finish: Clean. Just the palate lingering for a while. Conclusion: This is super simple, but cleanly executed. It's so simple that it makes Pure Scot Virgin Oak seem complex by comparison. I'm leaning toward a 12.

Rating: 12/23 I finished off the last bit in the bottle and found it better than I recalled. There's still more alcohol presence than I'd anticipate for its age and proof, but it's less harsh than most grain whiskies I've sampled. While it's quite flat, there are no off-notes. Looking at the bottle, I see it advertises "Supple and silky, with elegant, rich flavours of creamy vanilla, and buttery toffee, with a hint of cinnamon coconut and cocoa." Setting aside the grammatically awkward sentence structure, this description is fairly accurate. I certainly detected vanilla, coconut, and spice before reading it. I can see the buttery toffee reference, though it's not very pronounced. It's definitely silky and elegant. Cocoa? Not so much. I might consider upgrading to a 14, but I'd likely settle on a 13; I lack the confidence to change my rating based on a single sip. Eh... I compared it to a couple of my other grain whiskies, and they both tasted significantly better than usual. I don't dispute that it can taste quite good under certain conditions, as I'm discovering now, but its nuance is typically absent, and it's not particularly enjoyable. My initial rating of 12 was probably correct. As a side note, I just read that Macduff produces this. The source wasn't highly reputable, and I haven't heard of Macduff making grain whisky before, but the claim is specific enough that I'm inclined to believe it.

Vanilla, honey, caramel, a touch of spice, leans sweet, brief finish. This is quite drinkable. Nothing wrong with that. Thanks to a friend for the sample.

All in all, this whiskey is quite decent. It's oily and viscous. The aroma is rather simple, featuring caramel, dried fruit, chalkiness, and a hint of wood. However, it pairs excellently with a fine cigar.

The cost is appropriate. It’s not going to wow an elder, but they’ll find it pleasing.