Whyte And Mackay Special

40% abv

Score:  76/100

As far as blended whiskies go, this truly ain’t half bad.  Kinda sounds like ‘damning with faint praise’, right?  That’s not the intent.  This really is a decent blend.

The way I look at these things is if I want a drink with personality, I’ll likely reach for a malt.  If I want a quick down-the-hatch’er…this’ll do.  A few parts grain…a few parts malt…voila!  Instant drinkability.

If you do try this dram, and don’t find it delivering quite what you’d hoped for, keep cruising the W&M portfolio.  There are a couple nice older variants in the range.

Nose:  Malty with a hint of cinnamon.  Something of a peaty backbone.  Fruit mélange…dried and tart fruit…perhaps baked into something.  Very blend-typical.  Heavy in grain yet surprisingly malty.  Touch of smoke and somewhat doughy.  Vaguely floral (old potpourri).

Palate:  A malty, down-home old school style of blend.  Cigar and rumballs.  A little figgy and dry.  Mouth-stickin’ caramel and honey nougat.

Don’t be fooled by a relatively low score.  While this is nothing spectacular, it is absolutely quaffable.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt