while smoky peat has become quite a staple for me in my whisk(e)y journey, there are some days that i just want to change things up and enjoy something lighter and more refreshing on the palate.
The Snow Grouse, a winter cousin of the Famous Grouse whisky, is a blended grain Scotch whisky which was one of the inexpensive 'starter' whiskies that i had begun my whisky journey with. over time even as my palate developed with an ever-insatiable inclination towards the Ardbegs and Caol Ilas, The Snow Grouse has still remained a staple in my freezer.
that's right, freezer.
unlike most other whiskies, The Snow Grouse (in line with its name) is actually intended to be served cold, straight from the freezer. the necessity of serving this chilled also makes it a refreshing drink of choice on a warm humid evening (which is more often than not the norm here in Singapore).
the experience of pouring this straight from the freezer is strangely more akin to treacle syrup than water (or whisky) - the intense cold gives The Snow Grouse an interesting consistency that is more viscous than other whiskies poured at room temperature.
this is one whisky that has its full flavour delivered straight up with the first sip, and from experience it's absolutely essential to follow the instructions to "serve from the freezer" - unlike with other whiskies, leaving this to 'breathe' at room temperature actually leads to a detrimental effect - the balance of the aromas and flavours becomes a little 'off', and there is a noticeably sharper and spicier 'burn' on the palate when drinking this not-chilled. most of the time, using an ice water bath for my nosing glass is too much trouble, so i would usually find myself making multiple trips to the freezer to fill at most a third of a pour each time to ensure that it stays cold.
in the glass, The Snow Grouse is predominantly peaches and honey with a touch of vanilla. the same notes also come out on the palate and it's a whisky that is very easy to drink; each sip is light and sweet, with almost no spiciness or 'burn'. it's not a whisky that an experienced drinker would consider particularly complex or with much depth, but then again, sometimes the simple things in life turn out to be more enjoyable than expected.
i love the bright straw colour that this has in the glass, and the cold fruity sweetness when poured from the freezer; combined with the fact that it has a moderate alcohol by volume of 40%, The Snow Grouse is a nice and refreshing change from most of my other stronger and darker (peatier) pours.
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this review is of a product that i had purchased at regular price with my own money. i wasn’t asked to review this as a condition of purchase and didn’t receive any incentives for writing this. i’m not affiliated with Famous Grouse, Ardbeg or Caol Ila, and as always, all opinions remain my own.
all information correct at time of publishing.
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