The Famous Grouse is one of Scotland’s most recognisable brands (let alone whisky brands) and the ‘classic’ blend has been Scotland’s best selling whisky since the 1980s.
I’d seen the special edition expressions such as Naked Grouse, Black Grouse etc appear on the supermarket shelves, but it was only last year that I realised that they had released a number of higher-end expressions and this 30 Year Old Blended Malt is at the top of the pile. A limited edition expression, it was created to celebrate Famous Grouse’s 30 years as the best selling whisky in the country.
Famous Grouse is owned by Edrington which counts Glenturret, Highland Park and the Macallan amongst it’s distilleries, so any blend consisting solely of 30 year old editions of those malts should be worth a look.
Colour
Ruby gold.
Nose
Thick rich nose, clear sherry influence with juicy raisins and mixed fruit the predominant aromas.
Caramel, honey and just a touch of pear-drop acetone also apparent.
Taste
Matches the nose in providing huge chunks of fruitcake with a thick mouthfeel. Very rich and smooth.
Alcohol-soaked prunes also appear before some leather tobacco dryness takes over.
The finish is long, slightly and dry with some of the fruit sweetness coming back at the end.
Adding water opens it up well, bringing out more honey and toffee flavours.
Overall
This is a great whisky and one of the best blends I have tasted to date. It combines a lovely smooth character with a depth of flavour and the finish really shows the quality.
Bottling at 43% means that you’ve got room to add water, which does change the whisky by bringing a lightness and some different sweetness, but it’s equally enjoyable neat.
Apparently this is a limited edition expression, however you can still buy it from the online shop – definitely one to seek out.
Braw Spirit 