NEW SCOTCH HITS THE MARK
I came across a new product that really intrigued me the other day. It comes from the maker's of Famous Grouse blended scotch and is called Black Grouse. The name comes from a collaboration with the RSPCA to try to protect this particular species of grouse, the 'black grouse'.
But this isn't just an honourable publicity stunt, this new blended scotch fits, in my opinion, into a gaping hole in the whisky market. I, myself am a big fan of the heavily peated malts from Islay. I have stopped drinking them (regularly) due to the excessive increase in cost, which is true of single malts in general but particularly in Islay. Laphroaig used to be somewhat affordable and was an old favourite, but it seems lately to be getting ever closer to the $100 mark of Lagavulin and Bruichladdich. Bowmore I think is the most affordable but it still stands at $60 before taxes.
So here comes Black Grouse, which is a blend of the Famous Grouse malts and some undisclosed peated Islay malts. It is a great little scotch blend, with the rich, smoky, peaty flavour and very smooth finish, which has been winning some prestigious awards and accolades from top whisky masters in the UK. So, coming in at $36, I think it's an absolute bargain, and makes available those heavily peated flavours at a more everyday price.
And not only that, but with every bottle sold the distillery is donated about $1 to the fund for the protection of the black grouse species in the UK. This product is now available through the BC liquor stores at $35.95, and I believe is well worth it.
N.D.
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