Received a bottle of Black Dog scotch whisky for review and
what better time to open it but after a lovely long alcohol free ride of
Ashtavinayak!
Had a couple of friends over for the ‘tasting’ and general
celebration of my acquiring the ‘Desert Storm’ Royal Enfield motorcycle!
The Black Dog, incidentally, has an interesting
history. Apparently, Walter Millard, a
Scot in British India, travelled to Scotland in 1883 in search of an impeccable
whisky. His search ended in a blend created by James Mackinlay, of the second
generation of the Leith Scotch Whisky blending family. Being a keen angler
himself, Walter Millard named the whisky ‘Black Dog’ in honour of his favourite
salmon fishing fly used in the Spey and Tay rivers of Scotland since the early
19th century. Thus was born the ‘Black Dog’ whisky!
Now a whisky that old and so carefully blended needs a lot
of respect and cannot be diluted with soda or cola but has to be had neat on
ice if need be. The label on the cover of the bottle states that this whisky is
a blend of fine whiskies from all the regions of Scotland – Speyside, Islay,
Highlands and Lowlands, each matured for a minimum period of 12 years creating
a bouquet that captures all the flavours of Scotland, giving Black Dog its very
distinctive flavour and taste.
The bottle is opened and the golden liquid carefully poured
on ice in the glass for the tasting. Here I would
like to mention what the
Tasting Notes are as per the makers of this whisky, followed by my
observations.
Colour : Amber, with Golden highlights.
Yes – agreed
Aroma : Robust malty, mellow woody, complex yet delicate
aroma of sherry and vanillic sweetness with whispers of soft peatiness in the
background.
Could definitely get the woody aroma. It was heady.
Palate : Beautifully rounded, heavy body, pronounced malty,
mellow woody, fruity sweetness with teasing light warm peat.
A heavy body with the soft peatiness of a good scotch
lingered as I sipped it, to my delight.
A whisky that can help you warm up with someone or maybe just
chill with friends.
Overall a fine whisky to sip on, whenever you feel the need
to unwind after a stressful day or to share with friends to celebrate something
special!
Cheers!
The MRP in Mumbai for a 750ml Black Dog DeLuxe aged 12 years
whisky bottle is Rs.2200/- as listed.
Cheers!
God made Black(Dog) and White(Horse) but He prefers Johny Walker:D
ReplyDeleteA great review Deepak!
Thank you Amit. He sips on this nectar when he is tired and wants to relax!
DeleteI am a non drinker but I enjoyed the last picture a lot :D
ReplyDeleteThank you Ghazala
DeleteMy favourite subject. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteOkay.. will take your word for it. :-)
ReplyDelete:) Thank you Tulika!
DeleteCongrats on the Motorcycle. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Divya :)
DeleteThats some cool review!! I wish I could understand all of it ;) how its mellow etc.. the last time I braved a sip.. my throat was on fire.. and I cursed hubby asking HOW he drinks THAT :D :D haha!!
ReplyDeleteHey and congrats! :)
Do stop by my blog! I'd love your comments & visits!!
Thank you Kappu :)
DeleteA gentle sip, twirl it around your tongue and let it slip down your throat warming it - bingo! the secret shall be revealed :)
Cheers!
fabulous review !!! good enough to make a non drinker reach out for a bottle ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much TTT! You just made my day!!
DeleteCheers!
That was a sparkling review, Deepak! It sounds every bit a professional piece!
ReplyDeletepa: I am all green with envy! ;)
Thank you so much Umashankar! :)
Deletei Drink BlackDog form Past 6 years it's really good when compared with chivas 12years i moved from chivas to BlackDog
ReplyDeleteI Had black dog regular, and have to admit its shit.
ReplyDeletemostly grain spirits ,very strong odor absolutely no complexity in taste.
neat is tolerable, water instead of enhancing the flavor increases the shrillness of the whiskey.
Vat 69 which is cheaper is much better, closer to malt whisky than this, black dog is a fucking embarresment.
best douse the notes with ice and gulp it down