Slainte-Mhath
Copper Dog Blended Malt
Blended Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed
June 12, 2022 (edited August 17, 2022)
I thought it was about time for a quick dive into the low-cost segment, so I bought this bottle of Copper Dog. Fresh and grassy, the nose offers apple puree, sour grapes and some distant spices. Other than that, there is not much going on. The taste is crisp, watery and apple-driven, expanding towards bitter oranges, cinnamon and mild tannins. Hints of biscuits, walnuts and menthol give it a bit of substance. Swift and uninspiring, the finish fades with toffee, herbs and a touch of espresso. I don't mind drinking this malt, but it's not very interesting either.
RATING: 2.7/5.0 stars ≙ 76 pts → SUBPAR [+]
24.0
EUR
per
Bottle
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@Slainte-Mhath Indeed, that's one reason I started including a one or two word description a while ago as the first part of the rating. A simple "Very Good" means more than any numerical rating, I think.
@cascode As long as you understand what score means, it's fine. My average is 3.0, yours is 2.5, and some go even lower. I find it far more important to be consistent, to actually compare ratings.
@Slainte-Mhath Thanks, our systems look very similar. Mine is shifted down about 5 percentage points in comparison - 90/100 is 5 stars etc. and overall it’s closer to Serge’s system, but not quite the same.
@cascode Yes, my scoring system is explained in detail on my Whiskybase member page: https://www.whiskybase.com/profile/slintemhath - It is mainly based on Michael Jackson's Malt Whisky Companion, but also influenced by Ralfy's and Serge's approach to score bottles. Funny that you mentioned it, because I actually adjusted some of my descriptors after I studied your system 🤓
@Slainte-Mhath I was just looking at your scoring system - do you have it written out anywhere? I'd like to compare it to mine as they appear to be very close but some of your descriptor words might be better. Cheers.
@Ctrexman I have certainly had worse blends, but there is not much excitement here either.
Agree this is meh ok
Additional comment: I do not dismiss bottom shelf whiskies, but the problem is that Norwegian alcohol taxes make these bottles ridiculously expensive. I paid 430 NOK ($45) for this bottle, so yeah... Ardbeg Wee Beastie is only 100 NOK more. I am bored to rate almost every whisky above 3 stars, but on the other hand I do not want to waste my money on stuff which is simply not worth it.