Pig's Nose
I picked this up on a trip through VA as it is not available in NC (in fact, it seems none of Ian Maleod's offerings are available here).
NOSE: Fruity & Malty. You pick from Peach Purée, Apple Sauce, or Apricot Preserves swirled into Warm Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat. With some time in the glass, nose gets a healthy helping of Buttercream Icing and Citrus Peel. Some "Barnyard" notes also creep in. Appropriate for a Whisky called Pig's Nose. There is maybe just a hint of the Peated whiskies that are used. This is youthful, but VERY nice.
NEAT: Light. Thin. Oily. Oaky. Fruit notes from the nose are here, but lighter in character. A little Butterscotch as well? The Peat shows up on the disappointingly short finish and aftertaste. It does have that nice layering, building effect that I like with Peat, Ash, Leather, and Straw building on the tongue.
SPLASH: Brings some of the Peated notes to the front of the Nose and Palate. Picks up a touch of bitterness as well. Splash is not necessary here.
VERDICT: I really like this. For $26 it's a no brainer. This one is right up there with Cutty Sark Prohibition and Monkey Shoulder as best blends. Next trip through VA, I will definitely snag another bottle.
26.0
USD
per
Bottle
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Had a healthy pour of this over a large cube of ice during a Church Meeting on Zoom (the lone bright spot of the pandemic for me is being able to imbibe during these meetings) and it was very good. I will definitely be picking up another bottle of this when I visit VA.
Brian Kinsman vs Richard Paterson, the Chemist vs The Nose. More seriously, for me, blends are the epitome of VfM
Great review, this is a solid blend. Sheep Dip is the vatted malt big brother
@phoibe_distiller it’s been a while since I’ve had Monkey Shoulder, but if memory serves I like this one just as much.
@bigwhitemike Totally agree. I recall liking Monkey Shoulder as well. so I'll ha e to keep an eye open for this.
Thorough Taste! Big fan of Monkey Shoulder, so I'll have to check this one out.
@bigwhitemike +1
Considering that even entry level single malts are $35-40, I’m always excited to find a $25-30 blend that showcases a clear vision, quality components, and sum-is-better-than-the-parts outcome. Sounds like this is a winner, I will keep an eye out for it.