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!
Categories: Booze Review, Pig's Nose
AMKrouse
The Alemonger
G-LO
limpd
The Wookie
The ROK
Sarah -BeautifulTangibleThings
The Astounding Prism
It's just the booze dancing... 
A bland and boring whisky cleverly marketed. How can you not like the fat hog on the pink label? Hell, Richard Paterson is mentioned as the blender. I bought a bottle and just can’t bring myself to finish it.
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It may be kinda bland and boring, but it’s far from dreadful. Grab some Club Soda and mix yourself up some Highballs! Think of it as a Gin and Tonic alternative. That bottle will be gone before you know it.
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I could really go for a whisky highball right now…Or two…Or three.
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I like where your head is at! Highballs are deadly. Go down wayyyyyy to easy. Tasty though!
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I think I might have told you that Pappy tries to avoid smoky whiskies and the “leftovers” were drams that he had opened, nose and then put aside. From your review, I am beginning to think that he might have missed on a good one. As for your finding it bland, is that more a function of the comparatively low ABV or was something missing from the whisky?
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You did indeed tell me about your Pappy’s discriminating taste. As far as the blandness of this whisky, it was definitely due to the lowish ABV (yes, I may have a problem!), and there was definitely something missing. But hey, what do you expect from something that goes for around $30/bottle? That’s pretty darn cheap!
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