Trying Some Blended Scotch

I have written about a couple of blends in the past, but I wanted to try a couple of more widely available blends head-to-head to see how they stacked up against each other as opposed to weighing them against single malts.

The two I have chosen are the Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark. Obviously blends like Dewars and Johnnie Walker are very famous, but these other two are very respectible brands and surprisingly popular in the United States. Cutty Sark is produced by Berry Brothers and Rudd, which belies its incredible reach with its modest store near St. Jame's Court in London. The Cutty Sark (named for the ship which graces its label) is a lighter-colored blend that looks a bit like a chardonnay in the glass, while the Famous Grouse is a deeper, copper color. The Cutty Sark's nose is a little sharp with a whisp of sherry and plastic. I expected a stronger sherry note from the Grouse, but was surprised at how subdued this one was as well (I am also recovering from a cold, which may be effecting it, but I had some Laphroaig later which came through loud and clear). Some biscuit and a little pear or other light fruit. The Cutty Sark is easy on the tongue, a little sweet and some oil, whereas the Grouse is much softer. Both have some spice, but not overly so. The Grouse's nose opens a bit with water, particularly the biscuit, but neither explodes with new smells. The Cutty Sark didn't change at all. With water the Cutty Sark is almost too diluted. It is a brasher, younger-tasting whisky than the Grouse, which needs no water at all to enjoy.

Both are enjoyable whiskies that one can enjoy on the rocks, neat, or with a splash of water. I haven't tried them with ginger beer, but I have read that the Famous Grouse goes particularly well with a well-crafted ginger beer. In any case, I would probably choose the Grouse in future and rank it now above the Dewar's White Label as a "house" whisky. The Cutty Sark is too rough for my taste as a blend.