The Famous Grouse Smoky Black - Whisky Review

Time for another dram!

A lightly peated blended Scotch Whisky

A bit about

Produced by William Grant & Sons, The Smoky Black is chill-filtered, has 40% ABV and a deep gold colour. It was launched in 2015 as a rebranding of the Black Grouse expression.

Time to try it!

Nose: Lightly spicy, with peat and a bit of oak

Palate: Similar to the Famous Grouse in style, but with a touch of peat added, with cracked black pepper and some ginger mixed with some dried currants and blackberries.

Finish: Medium-long, slightly peaty with lingering bitter notes

Pros and Cons

As I opened my little bottle, there was barely any peat in the taste, with most of it being in the smell. After leaving it to breathe for a bit, most of the peat and overall aroma seem to disappear.

Overall, it is quite gently peated, with some sweetness and fruitiness and no notes overpowering the others. A drop or two of water seems to help mellow the harshness on the palate.

Would I recommend this one for sipping? Unfortunately not. And, as with The Famous Grouse, there's nothing specifically bad about this; it's just not that exciting (for me, at least), and fortunately, we have more than enough whiskies on the market to choose from, whether lightly or heavily peated.

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In Conclusion

Priced at around £20 on most UK websites, it's a handy dram to have around the house for smoky cocktails (perhaps a smoky old-fashioned) or for cooking.

This one, unfortunately, is not a dram for me, but if you're curious and you want to give it a try, you can find it by clicking/tapping here.

As always, please drink responsibly.

If you like this little review, please click on the little heart below and if you've tried this, I would love to hear what you think of it, in the comments below.

I hope life is treating you well.

Take care