Scoresby Rare

Oh Boy. When you can get a bottle of this swill + a bottle of EH Taylor Small Batch for $10 LESS than the bottle of Taylor Small Batch alone.... you know this stuff ain't gonna be good. So why do I insist on doing this to myself? Let's get this going. The nose smells like rubbing alcohol, musty prunes and grape jelly for some reason. Already, the relatively young age statement is evident in the nose, this stuff smells like it's going to pack of a wallop of astringency. Shockingly... and this is maybe the best thing I will say about this blended whiskey, it isn't that astringent or offensive. It kind of just tastes like a watered down mediocre blend. Which... is probably exactly what it is. The front of the taste is.. well.. nothing really. Maybe some of the musty prune but hard to pick up. As the taste reaches mid, the alcohol burn makes your tongue and mouth tingle. Again, very difficult to pick up much taste but I'm getting a flat Dr. Pepper vibe from this stuff. The finish turns oddly sour. Like post corn syrup sour. You know that weird sour after taste you get after drinking Coca Cola? That kind of sour. Do yourself a favor. If you happen to get a bottle of this stuff for free ( or even get PAID to take a bottle ) just use the contents for something other than drinking.

Not terrible, for a bottom shelf blend. Nothing “off” in the flavor, but just an inoffensive mixer.

Not a very good scotch

Somewhat boring and one dimensional, but it's a cheap Scotch I'm comfortable with putting in mixed drinks so I don't waste my good stuff. Mostly I like it because it's less sweet than bourbon and cheaper than rye.

It’s not good.

I was with family over the weekend for a function and wound back at my sisters house. Perusing the closet, as I have done many times there, I pulled this Scoresby Rare bottle which was mostly finished. This was a bottle from my Grandfathers collection. I have never seen this ever (is that the Rare part?) So, taking what is left, I figured I would review, for posterity, and jump back to a time when the scotch that was imbibed from that generation was that of the blended kind. This is bottled at 43% and is a light golden color. This opens with a delicate sweetness. Vanilla, caramel and. butterscotch. A bit more time and a fruity side appears. That of Granny Smith apples, Dole canned pears and a slice or two of apricots. The body is medium light in weight. There is a touch of sugary sweetness in the beginning and quickly fades. It turns quite bitter of lemon zest, and slightly spicy with black pepper. What remains is the lemon zest bitterness and bar soap. A touch of woodiness leaves the mouth feeling slightly dry. What was promising on the nose quickly fell apart in the palate and finish. This is a whisky intended for mixing with a soda or ice. Not one for a neat sip. The off-putting soap is a deterrent for neat sipping. All that said, it’s nice to take a small time warp back to those days for cheap, blended whisky. [Tasted: 11/20/18][79/100]