The Dewar’s White Label is not one of my favorite Scotches. This to me is quite similar to Johnny Walker Red in that it’s great to make some scotch cocktails with and while I can picture a kindly old grandfather sipping it from a glass filled with ice I just simply cannot see myself doing that same thing. However, don’t let that dissuade you from trying it. Especially if you’re a beginner and you’re just getting into scotch. Think of it as Scotch training wheels.
It has a very classic scotch flavor profile that won’t overwhelm you with complexity or peat (smoky aspect) and will help train your palate and start building that appreciation for more complex Scotches down the road.. It has a very peaty & woody finish that sticks in your mouth and for a good 10 minutes after you’ve finished your dram that smokiness will stay with you giving it a long finish that is really pleasant to find in a blend.
Overall it is a tad one dimensional and I had a hard time picking out more flavors than just the traditional scotch flavor profile but they do exist in hints and wisps. If you’ve never had it or you’re just starting out give it a go, you won’t be sorry you did.
Dewar’s White Label Review
ABV: 40%
Price: $22
Blender: Dewar’s & Sons
EYE
Thin yellow gold
NOSE
Smoky. The smell is actually a little more complex than the flavor and you can suss out hints of lemon and surprisingly enough a bit of tangerine.
TASTE
There is some caramel, but you really have to search for it. The peat overwhelms any other flavors, but that peatiness (smoke) is what put Scotch on the map so it’s worth knowing what a very classic scotch flavor profile is.
FEEL
Surprisingly watery for the amount of smoke in this dram. Overall it’s fairly smooth with just a touch of bite in the back of the throat.
FINISH
In the aftertaste there is a touch of earthiness and a very surprising dusting of maraschino cherry that pops in to say hello and then quickly moves on down the road.
SCORE: 77/100
What is your favorite bottom shelf scotch for on the rocks or with a bit of soda? Cheers.
Peated I like Finlaggan or Johnnie Black. Un-peated I like Monkey Shoulder or Naked Grouse. Cheers!
But it’s the single most popular scotch in the U.S.! (To paraphrase Monty Python) Classic scotch that is easy drinking on the rocks. Not exciting but not bad, IMO.
The only value to Dewar’s white label is if your girlfriend wakes you up in the morning because her car is out of gas and you stumble downstairs with a length of hose in which to syphon some petrol out of your car (because you learned from your grandfather that it’s just as easy to keep the top half full as it is the bottom half) and in doing so accidentally get a chug of some of the petrol in your mouth, quickly spit out the petrol and reach for the Dewar’s bottle you handed to the little woman on the way out the door. Quickly tip it back and swash it around and spit it out to get the taste out. But whatever you do don’t accidentally swallow that shit or you’ll be stuck tasting that peaty musty antique furniture store swill for the next 15 minutes. Just quickly throw whatever left on the bottle out onto the curb and run inside for a swig of cold coffee. For that matter drink your own urine if you have to, it’ll taste far better and it’s less toxic than the Dewar’s
Hmmm, now tell us how you really feel. But please, don’t hold back this time ;)
Have you had a chance to try the Scratched Cask version? I found it to be a great training wheels scotch to ease me over from the Bourbon world. It’s like EC 12 and Dewar’s had a kid…
No I never got to. I always wondered how that one was.
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