Review No.84. Dewar’s White Label

The first time I tried Dewar’s was on an Emirates flight to Australia back in 2011.  It was the first time I heard of the brand.  Dewar’s is a brand that has a bigger presence abroad and really pushed in the UK.  The 12 year old is currently being stocked at Tesco’s but that has only happened over the past 2 years.  This one is made up of over 40 malts and the main malt component is Aberfeldy.  I always keep an eye out for entry level blends just in case I discover a bargain and I wanted to remind myself what this tasted like and how it stands up to other entry level blends.

Whisky: Dewar’s White Label Blended Whisky, 40%

Nose: Fruit cake, vanilla, grain, toffee, toast, smoke

Taste: Grain, butterscotch, berries, dark fruits, oak

Finish: Short and bitter oak

Score: 2

Summary: This is a decent blend but I can think of overs that provide a better experience at a lower price.  Grain dominates this and although I get hints of those speyside characteristics they just don’t really come to the fore.  In turn this makes it quite a simple blend, there is some smoke in the background but it is all too light.  I think the Famous Grouse and Scottish Leader are more characterful than this.

Scoring scale: My scores reflect a balance of the overall experience, availability and cost for a whisky,

1 – not to my preference

2 – tastes fine but does not excite me

3 – more to my liking and would revisit occasionally

4 – very much to my liking and would consider as a regular feature on my whisky shelf

5 – permanent feature on my whisky shelf

Image source: www.thewhiskyexchange.com