The Black Grouse Alpha Edition (70cl, 40%)

The Black Grouse Alpha Edition is a blended Scotch whisky in a 70cl bottle, bottled at 40%. It builds on the regular Black Grouse with a higher share of mature, peated malt whiskies, married with grain whisky. It was introduced in September 2011 and was first sold in travel retail. The extra peated malt moves the balance towards smoke without making the whisky heavily smoky. Honeyed sweetness, citrus peel and toasted notes sit against a drier side of dark chocolate and charcoal. The nose is soft, with honey, toffee, popcorn and clear orange peel. On the palate, fruity sweetness, almonds and caramel meet grassy notes, turning to liquorice and peat with a touch of aniseed. The finish is medium in length, with dark chocolate, charcoal dryness and a little peat smoke.