Well it's been around 4 years since I last stuck a review on Connosr, so it was about time I got back to it!
And it's an interesting way to get back into reviews, as this whisky is something different to the norm. Most are aware of that "craft" beer maker Brewdog, and that they've started a distillery in Aberdeenshire recently, but this is their first release and obviously isn't their product, but a single grain nabbed from somebody else.
To look at, the dram is a rusted gold colour, almost bronze to my average eyesight! Then when you give the dram a nose, the overwhelming feeling is sweetness, a caramel aroma that reminded me of a fairly standard bourbon nose. There was also something that reminded me of pure spirit if that makes sense, the alcohol coming through maybe.
So when I tasted it, that sweetness that was present on the nose continued to dominate, the caramel taste was there and didn't let up. It wasn't harsh in the slightest, was quite light and easy to drink, but wasn't something that really stood out. The finish was short, no sweetness left, and it left a tingling sensation on the tongue.
In summary, this single grain whisky is ok, but much like the spiel on the back says, it's a whisky dressed in bourbon clothing. You could give it to a bourbon drinker and they would like it, some whisky drinkers will stay clear because of its similarity to bourbon. Brewdog have tried to be cutting edge, but to me they've just put out an average grain whisky that tastes like bourbon.
Cheers for the review @Alanjp. As you say Uncle Duke's is from an unnamed distillery – but BrewDog did open their own distillery in 2016 so it will be interesting to see what direction that whisky takes.