Famous Grouse Winter Reserve

A good blend. Honey sweetness with winter spices. Very friendly and enjoyable.

A fruity spicey blend. Very friendly with a good finish. Reminds me of grapefruit.

Smooth and easy drinking. Tastes of sherry, citrus, cinnamon, clove, and ginger. Good value.

N: Honey, dried white bread, some orchard fruit, and then there's that sort of earthy, mineral quality that each iteration of the Grouse has. Caramel, maybe light cinnamon (or cooked ginger?), and a mild seafood salty idea of a scent on a second level. P: Sticky toffee and bread pudding, milk chocolate, sea salted caramel. Hiding in the chocolate are a bunch of fruit flavors, like chocolate covered fruits: orange zest, cherries, cranberries, and maybe just a hint of raspberry. Finish is soft and supple, mostly more chocolate, but there's a spiciness that builds at the tip and sides of the tongue over time. Spice is cinnamon or even chili pepper heat - the label on the bottle really wants to you think it's gingerbread spice... Maybe, but feels just slightly too hot and also lacks the ginger flavor (it might be in the nose, it's definitely not on the palate). It's closer to a Mexican hot chocolate. Mouthfeel is absolutely luxurious - hits the exact right spots for rich, heavy, and creamy - not too much, not too little of any of those traits. As a winter blend, this would do quite nicely next to a gas fire pit on those blisteringly cold 60 degree evenings in deep January we get here in Los Angeles. Sarcasm aside, I'd want more spice from a dram I actually intended to drink in cold weather, but this is smooth, rich, silky, tasty, and cheap. Hard to ask for more. Winter or not, this my favorite version of the Grouse so far. It's rich and full of flavor, basically at any price, but especially so for sub-$30. I'll probably grab another and save it for the gas fire pit in a few months. Side note: Great label! The white grouse foreground with the snow capped mountain background that comes into view as you drain the bottle... Loved it.