When single-malts were a novel idea

[Troglodyte]

I'll add a vote for Dewar's as my go-to blend. Famous Grouse is the same price (very reasonable) according to TotalWine.com. i'll try it very soon !!

An excellent choice.

But when you see the spirit make-up of Dewar's, there's no surprise it's such an agreeable tipple.

There are still a few independant bottlers and blenders in Scotland, with individual and distinctive drams to try - I can recommend A. D. Rattray's house blend Bank Note Five which they say was first made 150 years ago, and is now produced in collaboration with Pacific Edge Wines and Spirits in California.

Rattray's website has details.

[12stones]

Mekong Whisky.

Now that's one to leave well alone..!

You'll all be glad to know I have done the necessary field trials and tastings, and so have saved you all the trouble.

And what trouble it is, too!

For sale at the temptingly good value of $1 a bottle to foreigners with more money than sense, and available at every stopping point along the river, it is sold in whisky bottles, looks like whisky and is alcohol.

But that's as far as the similarity goes.

A unique blend of distinct spirits all carefully aged and nurtured, before being infused with a secret mix of herbs and spices is what the marketeers might say, but it is just a crude rice-grain alcohol with a bit of colouring and flavouring added.

It's whisky, Jim, but not as we know it..!

Oh, I’ve partaken quite a bit during the months I’d spent in Thailand in the late 90s. I think it’s given the moniker “whisky” just to make it somewhat relatable to the Western tourists, though it’s more a rum being made of 95% sugar cane. It’s awful, but if your sole intention is to get drunk as cheaply as possible, there is not much that would be considered more effective.

[12stones]

Not bad. Tried it neat, then added one cube.

Give Monkey Shoulder a try. I prefer it much more to Dewars when it comes to blended malts.

[CBH]

Give Monkey Shoulder a try. I prefer it much more to Dewars when it comes to blended malts.

Its twice the price, so I would certainly expect a boost in quality.

Sorry I have been unable to get the Grouse right away. It'll probably be another week or 2, but I hope to be rewarded with a hidden gem.

[Jock Scot]

I must confess that it has never occurred to me to do that. I will give the Talisker addition to the “Grouse” a try forthwith.

Well, the tasting is done. I didn't know what to expect and before I go on any further, perhaps, my much abused taste buds were not much help, too much tobacco! I haven't smoked for over twenty years now and I must admit my food does now taste much better these days, but............

So the blending instructions were followed, well, almost to the letter and I actually added a wee tad more Talisker, just to empty the bottle. .......................... sadly, I could not detect any difference in taste.

Interestingly after day or so, a couple ghillies popped in for wee chat about this and that. Now these chaps know their whisky. Perfect! So, I tried the blend on them. I did not tell them what I was doing I hasten to add, so they were offered a wee dram and as expected they accepted, as I know that they are "Grouse" drinkers. During the following conversations about important things, like the state of the river etc., etc., I studied their expressions as they sipped their drams and..........nothing! Not a frown, not a quiet appreciative smile, not a raise of an eyebrow, nothing! After a pleasant chat for an hour they went on their way without a comment about their drink, apart from a thank you. Were they being polite? Well maybe? Amazingly, there was a dram left in the bottle! So, I thought I had better tidy up and finish the bottle. Again the Grouse tasted as it should.

So, did I put enough Talisker in? It seems not. But even though I say it myself , it was a generous measure by any standards.

[Troglodyte]

Well, the tasting is done. I didn't know what to expect and before I go on any further, perhaps, my much abused taste buds were not much help, too much tobacco! I haven't smoked for over twenty years now and I must admit my food does now taste much better these days, but............

So the blending instructions were followed, well, almost to the letter and I actually added a wee tad more Talisker, just to empty the bottle. .......................... sadly, I could not detect any difference in taste.

Interestingly after day or so, a couple ghillies popped in for wee chat about this and that. Now these chaps know their whisky. Perfect! So, I tried the blend on them. I did not tell them what I was doing I hasten to add, so they were offered a wee dram and as expected they accepted, as I know that they are "Grouse" drinkers. During the following conversations about important things, like the state of the river etc., etc., I studied their expressions as they sipped their drams and..........nothing! Not a frown, not a quiet appreciative smile, not a raise of an eyebrow, nothing! After a pleasant chat for an hour they went on their way without a comment about their drink, apart from a thank you. Were they being polite? Well maybe? Amazingly, there was a dram left in the bottle! So, I thought I had better tidy up and finish the bottle. Again the Grouse tasted as it should.

So, did I put enough Talisker in? It seems not. But even though I say it myself , it was a generous measure by any standards.

Hmmmm... A two-pipe problem, this...

I wonder if the mix that the Grouse comprises needs something a bit more heavy-handed, like a drop or two from Islay instead of Skye, for the difference to be noticeable.

Perhaps that's what the smoky black Famous Grouse is all about.

I've seen 'rum expressions' in certain malts recently, so have done my own by adding a few drops of Appleton to the glass or two's amount of Scotch left in my decanter.

And very pleasant it is. The smooth sweetness of the rum is tempered by the whisky, and the character of the Scotch takes on a mellow, gentle mood - a bit like how you might feel on a winter's afternoon in front of an open fire, after a good meal.

I've seen certain malts described as a 'book at bedtime' dram, and this whisky/rum mix of mine fits that nicely. All I've got to do is the get the mixt right and lodge my copyright!

Remember you saw it here first...

[Jock Scot]

Two pipes are fine, just don't get the violin out!

[CBH]

Good luck hand-mixing your whisky. I finally made it through a bottle of The Grouse.

It was pretty good, but I returned to Dewar's for the everyday scotch.

[Troglodyte]

Good luck hand-mixing your whisky. I finally made it through a bottle of The Grouse.

It was pretty good, but I returned to Dewar's for the everyday scotch.

That's the great thing about whisky - there is so much variety and option that everyone can find something to suit his personal taste.

And adapting a preferred blend is the next logical step. Having found something that has all the character and appeal, you can enhance the elements you favour by adding small amounts of a suitable single malt.

They say that there is usually between 15 and 50 different whiskies in the blends, so altering the balance to suit your own preferences is easy - just a bit of trial and error. I find that Ballantine's is a good one to use as a base for this.

Some of the independant bottlers' offerings cater more for the niche markets, and the likes of A. D. Rattray's 'Bank Note Five' is a good example, and if Dewar's is to your liking, then 'Bank Note' ought to have great appeal.

The Ayrshire company has links with Pacific Edge Wines and Spirits in California, so you ought to be able to find supplies in the USA if you fancy giving it a try.

As regards blending your own, or enhancing the blends you like, it is easy to find out what whiskies go into the blend, and so adding a bit more of the one that gives the character you like is straight-forward. The trick is to remember you will probably need to add much less than you might think - cap-full rather than glass-full quantities to a bottle.

If you want to be a bit more adventurous, and as you like Dewar's, I can recommend taking about half a bottle of Dewars and adding about a measure or two of a golden rum. I have been using Appleton Reserve Jamaica rum in my trials, but Mount Gay (Barbados) or St James (Martinique) or similar would be just as good.

Rum of the same colour as whisky is the thing, as they are smoother and less 'hot' that white-rum, and they tend to meld nicely with the aged-wood of the whisky, having similar aging of their own.

But do not ice the drink - the cold will kill stone dead all the life you have created. Drink at blood temperature, as you would a cognac or armagnac, and in the same kind of glass for the full effect. An over-large claret glass works very well, perhps better, as it is like a giant version of the little tulip-shape copitas the blenders use for tasting.

[CBH]

Several years ago my favorite way to enhance cheap blends was to make it a Rusty Nail - add Drambuie. It is a nice drink, but clearly not for every day.