Malt Mission 2011 #404

The Silver Grouse
Blended Malt Whisky

45%
£30


Honestly? I have no information about this bottle to share except for what the label told me:


It is a blended malt and is chill-filtered at -8 degrees Celsius, a proposition that seems familiar to the brilliant commercial failure of J&B -6. The label explains that this whisky was specially designed to celebrate Famous Grouse's 25 years as Scotland's number 1 blended whisky. 


I took a sample off a bar in an office in Taipei and I am afraid neither the internet nor my shelves of books offer me much else by way of background. Sorry! Do you know this whisky?


For more info on the Famous Grouse family of blends and to see all tasted so far on the mission, click HERE.


TASTING NOTES:

Wildly pleasant and easy-going nose. Creamy and sweet with dates and honey. Slight salty or briney note in there, too.

More dates, raisins and an oaty gristiness, drying with dusty oak and pleasant sherry.


SUMMARY:


Classic Grouse style, easy to drink and a joy all the while. Now who knows where the hell this thing is available?

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Malt Mission 2007 #176

The Black Grouse
Blended Scotch Whisky
40%
£20*

In the Spring of 2005, Famous Grouse Innovation and Development Manager Helen Potter was workshopping in Sweden when the idea of a peated, Islay-style version of the world-renowned blend was first realised. Interviewed by Mark Gillespie in the excellent Whisky Cast (Episode 106), Potter explained the inspiration behind the new expression from Edrington Group's flagship blend.

She said her research showed that new and younger drinkers were skipping blends, the traditional entry-point into the wide world of whisky, and, instead, moving straight to strongly flavour malts, ie. sherried beasts and, in particular, Islay malts. This blend hopes to appeal to those drinkers with an emphasis on added drinkability while being a little gentler on their wallets. In general, minimal marketing speak. We like.

Famous Grouse is the number #1 selling blend in Scotland... and in Sweden. Sweden has a pretty sophisticated whisky market, are generally big spenders, and 30% of all malt sold in Sweden is from Islay so it can safely be said that their tastes are, by and large, for the peated side of things. Liquor is controlled and sold through a state-run organisation called the Systembolaget (like Vinmonoplet in Norway, LCBO in Ontario, etc.). Advertising controls of alcohol in Sweden force companies to rely on making news to stimulate interest and this gradual pilot-ing of the product have achieved that goal in Sweden where the Black Grouse has been sold since being launched in April, 2007.

Before Christmas the rest of Scandinavia and selected European markets should be able to get their hands on a bottle. Folks in other countries will have to wait... if the stuff comes at all. And who knows if we want it!? Lets taste and find out.

All Famous Grouse had on the mission can be read HERE.

* - as this product is not available in UK, the price is based on RRP in Sweden.

TASTING NOTES:

Posh, sweet nose of fresh crumpets, cream, peach and strawberry jams. Stones, minerals like decomposing matter, ie. peat, and a touch of smoke. Very well behaved aromas of fresh apple, black pepper, and ice cream sandwiches.

Chewy sweetness, cereal grains, and a soft growth of peat and smoke. With water, this mineral smokiness is more pronounced. Gently drying with a disappearance of flavour.

SUMMARY:

In the interview cited above, Helen Potter described this whisky as "smoke in the nose, smoke on the palate, smoke in the finish." For me, the smoke was so faint in any stage of the tasting of this dram that to use it as a descriptor seems inaccurate. I get peat, and earthy matter appears in the mouth, but if we go into this expecting a smoky whisky, we will be sadly disappointed. None of this is to say that this drop is not enjoyable, though; it is a solid blended whisky. The nose is really appetising and becomes a spiced-up version of the standard Grouse with pepper, the aromas of tree bark and (faint) peat. The palate gives the most smoke, but it is still just a whisper in the full conversation of the whisky. A bit of a non-event between the palate and the finish, like a standard blend should be, encouraging healthy(sic) sips in quick succession.

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Malt Mission 2007 #157

Famous Grouse Gold Reserve 12 yo
Blended Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£22
$25(USD)

Perth was a nexus of blending houses in the 19th century. If you wanted, you could wander about town tasting the wares of John Dewar, Arthur Bell, and Matthew Gloag. Since 1820, Gloag ran a grocery in town and by 1860, his son started blending whiskies. By the end of the century was selling the Grouse Brand. It became well known among locals earning it the addition of 'famous' to its name.

The Famous Grouse is owned by The Edrington Group (Macallan, Highland Park, and others) and has been the #1 whisky in Scotland for many years. They have extended their range over the past decade, most recently with the launch of The Black Grouse, a peaty, Islay-themed blend specifically targeting the nordic and Scandanavian markets.

All Famous Grouse we've had on the mission can be read HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Weighty nose of rich, honeyed malt, sherry sweetness, and a touch of sulphur. Sesame seeds, oats, and pie crust. Well integrated smoke like exhaust as the impressions drive away.

Puff of gentle smoke then warm and toasty with sherry, dairy, and Honeycomb cereal. Filter coffee. Long finish of brown sugar and oatmeal.

SUMMARY:

Nothing too complex, but the weight of the sherry and heavy malty tones are very satisfying. The smoke that appears on the nose leads on the palate but gives way to the rich vanilla maltiness and sherry like a gentleman holding the door for young lady. Grain definitely takes a back seat in this number. Bunnahabhain and Highland Park are quite noticable so fans of either distillery could really dig this blend. For the price and flavour profile, it could be a good replacement for Jon, Mark and Robbo's Rich, Spicy One for those of you in markets that have lost that affordable line.

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Malt Mission 2007 #32

The Famous Grouse
Finest Blended Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£14
$27.45(CAD)
$23.50(USD)

NOMINATED in the 2008 DRAMMIES
*Bang for Buck
Vote HERE (before Mar 6, 2009)

Just the facts, baby. Matthew Gloag established as a grocer and wine merchant in Perth in 1820. In the 1860’s, his son William moved into blending joining John Dewar and Arthur Bell in the competitive venture. In 1898 one of these Gloag blends was named The Grouse Brand and its local popularity earned it the name the Famous Grouse. In the 1970’s, after Highland Distilleries bought Gloag, the brand soared to be the biggest selling whisky in Scotland. It still is. It is the second largest brand in the UK and only started to address the global market in the 1980s where it now moves more than 2 million cases.

Have read that the component malts of Famous Grouse include (or has included) the Bunnahabhain, Glenglassaugh(closed), Glengoyne, Glenrothes, Glenturret, Highland Park, Macallan, and Tamdhu. Apparently there is still a good chunk of old Cambus(closed) as well as North British grains making up 65% of the blend.

TASTING NOTES:

Well, to be fair, this smells like whisky. Grain is upfront in this one with butter, clotted cream, and strawberry jam. If I dig there is some spice, cumin seed? There is a nice sherried undertone and some white pepper and the smell of the cold dryness of a freezer. Jim Murray has described this as light nose, and I cannot accept that... it is weighty, low down, if you know what I mean, bass heavy with the cheesy saxophone of grains up top.

Nice mouthfeel with pleasant sweetness. Barley and green bananas. Creamy with dried fruits. A great balance of the firm graininess against great speyside characteristics with a whisper of pepper or peat. A good, solid drink.

SUMMARY:

Bumped into an old gentleman in the spirits section of our local Sainsbury.While we were waiting for staff to come open the locked cabinets for us we got to chatting. He told me that he only drinks Grouse. "I'm done with Teachers, and I've gone off Bell's, I just drink Grouse. The wife, too!" That is all I have to say. This guy may have more to say...

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