This wee dram of Pig’s Nose Blended Scotch Whisky is Leftover Dram #2 from the Master of Malt 2012 Whisky Advent Calendar that Limpd bought for his Pappy this past Christmas. Leftover Dram #1 was the Old Pulteney 21 that I reviewed at the end of April.
Pig’s Nose Blended Scotch Whisky is produced by the Spencerfield Spirit Company of Inverkeithing, Scotland. In addition to Pig’s Nose, they also produce Sheep Dip, Sheep Deep Old Hebridean, and Edinburgh Gin.
Here is what Spencerfield Spirit Company has to say about their Pig’s Nose whisky:
Refreshingly soft, yet reassuringly rich… the whisky’s name plays on the notion that it’s as smooth as a pig’s nose. This exceptional blended Scotch has been created by Richard Paterson, Scotland’s only third generation Master Blender. Produced in specially selected first fill oak casks, the seriously satisfying smoothness is achieved through combining oak-aged Speyside, Islay and Lowland malts with superior Invergordon gentle grain whiskies.
Let’s get on with the review…
- Appearance: Pale golden yellow color with a slight amber hue.
- Aroma: Light and fruity on the nose with just a touch of sweetness. Vanilla nougat, unripe pears, and shortbread cookie followed by a bit of herbal notes, i.e. anise and peppermint.
- Taste: Thin watery mouthfeel. This is a very light and easy drinking whisky with absolutely no burn or harshness. Subtle vanilla notes at the onset with lots of that sweet, creamy grain coming through. Doesn’t really change much from beginning to end, i.e. the flavors are consistent. Very short finish with a bit of anise and peppermint in the aftertaste.
- ABV: 40%
Since we live in the age of everything being either “Awesome!” or “Dreadful!”, I’m not exactly sure what to say about Pig’s Nose. While it’s definitely a step up from Johnny Walker Red and a few of the other budget blends on the market, Pig’s Nose isn’t very exciting.
On the flip side, when you go back and reread Spencerfield Spirit Company’s description of this whisky, I would say that Pig’s Nose achieved exactly what they set out to do. Smooth, easy drinking, and somewhat refreshing is exactly how I would describe this whisky, but that’s not what I look for most of the time when I settle down to enjoy a dram, i.e. I prefer a bit more depth, intensity, and complexity. Then again, this stuff would be perfect in a Whisky Highball! Two words: Gateway Whisky. Two more words: Table Whisky!
