Famous Grouse 12 Year

Nose - Pleasant lightly oaky vanilla, baked apple peels, sweeter oaky chardonnay, hint of orange, light honeyed sweet brioche, very faint maraschino cherry. Taste - Lightly honeyed filtered apple cider, oaked viognier-like sweetness, extremely light creamy port or sherry influence, ginger spice on the back palate right near the end. Finish - Lightly bittersweet like that of an apple juice made entirely of pressed apple peels, hint of pomelo/orange pith bitterness and a fain backend oakiness. Score - 82/100 Final Thoughts - I was pleasantly surprised at everything about this dram being at only 40%ABV. The nose didn't seem as muted as I thought and there was a nice interesting spice to complement a fairly thin mouthfeel. The first thing I thought of when I nosed this and had my first sip is that it seemed very similar to the NAS Monkey Shoulder. Looking back, even my tasting notes for Monkey Shoulder are incredibly similar to this. I'd say that this is like an age stated, slightly lower proof Monkey Shoulder that still manages to pack as much flavor in a lower proof.