A new name and packaging for the excellent 'Black Grouse' blend sees it become Famous Grouse Smoky Black. Although not mentioned by name anymore, the bottle still features a Tetrao tetrix, otherwise known as a blackcock.
Medium, quite smoky. Solid peat note, rummy sweetness, touch of dry wood.
Medium, balanced. Peat smoke, caramel, spice.
Long, slightly peaty.
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I like smokey malts and was drawn to the description on the bottle. The taste however was very dissapointing. Although it is smooth with a hint of caramel and molases I thought that the degree of smokiness was so light as to be hardly noticable. I have given the rest of the bottle away.
One thing I appreciate about the standard Grouse is the smoothness and the clear grain note. Smoky Black piles on significant complexity, shrouding the nose in smoke and adding molasses and spice on the palate, with a much longer finish, hinting at iodine and licorice. Smooth, but a bit sweet for me.
No wonder it was on clearance sale! WARNING: steer clear of this smokeless mess!
Purchased on clearance for $14 from a Schnucks supermarket in St. Louis. I guess it isn't selling. Famous Grouse is actually the #1 selling scotch in Scotland, and Black Grouse is its upscale, smokier bottling. It's recently been renamed to "Famous Grouse Smoky Black" likely to cash-in on the current peat craze. Nose: oranges and vanilla--this is what Famous Grouse famously smells like. Very faint, almost undetectable smokiness, reminiscent of Teacher's Highland Cream. Palate: Pretty nice, actually. It's still Famous Grouse, which means it's VERY sweet. Famous Grouse is the sweetest scotch on the planet. This is more balanced than the standard bottling, though, with a faint smokiness and slight earthy iodine-taste characteristic of peat. It's very faint, but it helps a lot. If you told me this was Teacher's (the new, sweeter Teacher's), I'd believe it. Finish: Very pleasant. Better than the taste. The characteristic Grouse burned sugar flavor quickly dissipates, leaving extremely faint flavors of oak, sea salt, and just the tiniest bit of smoke. That also dissipates pretty quickly. It's a short finish. It's fine. For $14 a bottle, it's a very good deal. There are much better deals for cheap smoke out there, though: Islay Storm at Trader Joe's, Strathbeag peated blended scotch at Total Wine, White Horse scotch wherever you can find it...
Amazing... smooth and very tasty
