Grand MacNish Black Edition

Grand MacNish Black Edition, NAS, 40%

The wine and spirits monopoly in Norway (“Vinmonopolet”) has stated in their long term strategy that they shall be a pioneering company in sustainability. By 2030, they aim to reduce their climate footprint by 55%. Their own analysis shows that packaging accounts for 43% of the carbon footprint in the lifecycle of the products they sell. Last year Vinmonopolet put out a tender asking for a blended Scotch whisky in a plastic bottle. The Grand MacNish Black Edition won the tender.

Not only does this whisky come in a plastic bottle, the bottle looks quite decent. It is round and not of the usual “hip flask” variant. It also has a solid screw cap of good quality. On top of that the empty bottle can be returned through the Norwegian bottle deposit system (“panteordning”).

The Grand MacNish was launched back in 1863 by Robert McNish. As such it is one of the oldest Scottish whisky brands. Roberts’s son, George McNish served as a Colonel during WWI. The name Grand MacNish came about as many of the Colonel’s friends commented that the McNish family blended Scotch was a “grand” whisky. Also the family name McNish was altered to MacNish for ease of pronunciation around the world.

This blended Scotch whisky has been matured in “charred ex-bourbon barrels”, and has no age statement. Grand MacNish Black Edition is composed of eight different single malt whiskies - from Highland, Speyside, Lowland and Islay, and four different grain whiskies. The whisky blended in Scotland, then shipped in bulk to Norway and bottled in Norway by Flo Brewery. Flo Brewery have obtained approval from the SWA to bottle this product outside of Scotland (Note that Scotch single malt cannot be bottled outside of Scotland).

The Grand MacNish Black Edition is exclusively available in Norway, and the cost for a 50 cl bottle is NOK 282 (15902502).

Nose: The aroma reveals delightful notes of caramel, vanilla, and milk chocolate. There's a subtle whiff of peat smoke, akin to an added spice. Hints of white pepper and soft maltiness emerge, along with a touch of citrus as it opens up.

Taste: Light body. The caramel flavor is accompanied by a softly spicy edge and a gentle splash of peat. It's fairly sweet, reminiscent of caramel and vanilla ice cream. Orchard fruits intermingle with subtle dried fruit notes, while a mild oakiness lingers in the background.

Finish: The finish is short to medium in length, echoing the caramel-driven profile. While it doesn't undergo significant development, it provides a decent, sweet, and soft landing.

Comment: This blend punches above its weight class. Although not overly complex, it's remarkably decent! Bravo!

Score 82/100

It is always best to first finish the bottle, before returning the empty in the deposit machine.

Sláinte!
-Thomas