NUDE AWAKENING

08 Jul 2016 By David Fuhrmann-Lim

For the first time ever, The Famous Grouse is unveiling its first batch of craft whisky: The Naked Grouse. The question is, does stripping it down just reveal its love handles and bumpy bits, or is there something more beautiful to behold?

The Naked Grouse is stripped of its famous label and upfront branding; there are no bells and whistles to be found – this is an unexpected statement that allows us focus on the product itself. The Naked Grouse is produced by selecting aged whiskies from famous distilleries, particularly from The Genturret – Scotland’s oldest distillery.

What also sets this particular blend apart is that it is matured for longer in first-fill sherry casks – this imbues its characteristic sweeter notes of dried fruit and vanilla. Touted as the finest yet most honest whisky from The Famous Grouse, this is the best that their Master Blender has given us to date.

Taste:

On the nose The Naked Grouse gives sweeter notes of cherry, vanilla and dark chocolate. This contrasts uniformly on the palette with warm spices and dried fruits. Combined together, the taste experience runs from plums and cinnamon: through to a sweet-spicy tone that lingers onto a chocolate finish. Admittedly, this is not a whisky for fans of smokier and peatier varieties, but in the end offers a good quality, enjoyable and drinkable whisky.

Overall:

The Naked Grouse bottle embodies a time-gone-by artisanal feel extremely well, feels as if it has been handmade with the kind of dedication and love only found in a grandad’s shed. Inside is a whisky that attracts individuals who lean towards medium-sweet, smooth and less-smokey flavor profiles. It’s yours for an extremely reasonable S$88.50 (before GST) a bottle.

Like this? Can whisky cure your common cold…?