Bill-Shannon
J&B Rare Blended Scotch
Blended — Scotland
Reviewed
January 25, 2021 (edited February 26, 2024)
A dram in honor of Burns Night '21. Justerini has been carrying Brooks for years and I'm not afraid to say it!
Pours a pale old gold color. A little leggy, but respectfully so. The nose is butterscotch and coffee creamer. I'm getting very mild barrel tannins; something approximating sherried wood. Cabbage and sulfurics. There is a tiny bit of peated smoke, which is surprising; earthy potting soil.
The flavor is a burst of butterscotch, red apple skins, butter and cream, immediately followed by tobacco ash and smoke at the swallow, almost like when you accidentally took a swig of a bottle with cigarette ashes in it. (But not in a bad way.) More of the barrel stuff that's half-puckery, half-sherry sweetness. There is a real perfume-like flavor in the middle of the palate.
The finish is like sipping a bottle of perfume, along with that sherry afterglow. A very distinctive cigarette/tobacco end that reminds me of Sundays at my grandpa's. (He had both cigarettes and J&B in the cupboard.) A curious white plastic at the tail end.
I can only imagine that this was the very first Scotch for countless young men and women, and while this one isn't complex or particularly outstanding, it'll do in a pinch when you need to mix in something a little smoky but don't want to use anything from your single malt stash.
35.0
USD
per
Bottle
Syracuse Liquor
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@Bill-Shannon ah, that sounds about right for the 1.0L then.
@CKarmios always looking for a human recommendation so thank you. the regular Loch Lomond is a sneaky good buy
@Bill-Shannon @Ctrexman Ought to try Loch Lomond Reserve, similar price level, a grain blend, but good.
@bigwhitemike this one was a full liter for $35 which is why I pulled the trigger on it. it's totally drinkable too.
This is actually one of those miscellaneous old timey blends that I kinda like. Naturally, first tried from a decades-open bottle in the father-in-law's cabinet. Not special in any way, but easy sippin', pretty balanced, and uniquely inoffensive for the price point, although I'm thinking more $20-$25 than $35 (perhaps a vestige of pre-tariff days, or just cheaper ones?). Lots more options at $35, including a few good age-stated single malts if you're lucky.
@Ctrexman I haven't yet, but keep hovering around it at the liquor store, so I'm glad to have a cosign I can trust to finally pull the trigger
Have you had Naked Grouse.... it only few $ more and a big step up as its vatted malt
@Ctrexman yessir! Teachers and Famous Grouse are probably my two favorite cheapo blends this far.
I would say Teachers is a decent peaty blend.....real cheap too
@Ctrexman At this point I'm just checking them all off the list. this one is a mixer for sure. i will say it isn't super peaty, but it is probably the peatiest blended grain I've had this far. (although I'm only really one year in, tbf)
Ive never had this but have considered many times. I always remind myself i dont like grain blends. You make it sound decent enough though Ill hard pass on the cabbage sulfur