The Black Grouse

This is the second Whisky i currently have in my collection (small i know).

Firstly this has the standard Famous Grouse blend in it but with some other peat based malt added in. This creates in my opinion a more punchy Whisky.

NOSE: I was expecting something hard to hit me on the nose but what i was greeted with was a mild smokey almost burnt sugar smell, it was pleasant and added to the existing smell of toffee. When i searched harder i could smell a faint tobacco scent, effective yet not in your face!

PALATE: Very similar in my view to the standard Famous Grouse but with a smoky taste which at no point overpowers the Whisky. Vanilla and spice (pepper) can be found especially if you hold it in your mouth.. There are fruits but i found the smoke taste masked the fruits until i added water which really opened it up. Oranges and a hint of chocolate come through once the water has had time to take effect!

FINISH: Warm going down with slight burn on the back of your tongue and throat. Flavors for the most part hang around in your mouth especially the orange and chocolate with the smoke consistently lurking in the background!

Verdict: This brings an added dimension to the standard grouse with the addition of smoke which compliments the existing flavors. The nose is certainly more interesting and the finish is vastly improved! The smoke from the peat based malt is never overpowering. Worth the extra money over the standard grouse in my opinion especially if you like a "little" smoke and punch! My only concern is the smoke does unbalance the Whisky to some extent but a few tiny drops of water help it to settle down!

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