Scottish Collie whiskey: features, types, brands and customer reviews

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

The round transparent glass bottle with amber-golden liquid and the image of a shepherd dog against the backdrop of high mountains and wooden barrels is familiar even to those who are not active consumers of strong alcoholic beverages. The most famous Scottish whiskey is Scottish Collie produced by William Grant & Sons. The drink is prepared by triple distillation, resulting in the production of spirits for blending. Then they are aged for at least three years in barrels, mixed, and only then, smelling of honey with a subtle taste of citrus, the scotch is bottled.

By the way, the final stage is carried out by a subsidiary of QSI, focused on the Russian market. Perhaps that is why the Scottish drink was to the taste of our compatriots. It is customary to drink it not only in its pure form, but also with the addition of cola, crushed ice, soda or as part of alcoholic cocktails.

Scottish Collie Whiskey at a Glance

As mentioned at the beginning, young whiskey is created by triple distillationfrom crystal clear water and golden barley. Blending spirits are produced by the famous Scottish distillery, which is located in the Highlands region, where the best conditions for further production are created.

The independent company was founded in 1886 and now the fifth generation of the family continues the tradition.

William Grant & Sons Ltd. repeatedly and deservedly received the title of "Best Distillery of the Year".

Scottish Collie whiskey range is rich and varied - from young temperamental to aged rich varieties.

Key features:

1. Color: golden amber.
2. Aroma - sweet with hints of honey, sherry and orange marmalade.
3. Taste: rich, velvety with smoky nuances and citrus accents.
4. Gastronomic pairings: neat with ice, cola or plain water. However, it is worth noting that, according to professionals, scotch is one of the best bases for making alcoholic cocktails.

Legend of Friendship

There are two legends about the appearance of the shepherd dog image and the name on the label. According to the first, "Scottish Collie" is named after Lues - companion and best friend of Robert Burns. And the founder of William Grant & Sons, as you know, was a big fan of the national hero and poet of Scotland.

The second legend tells the touching story of the collie's devotion to William Grant himself. The dog's name was Jock and he was a reliable helper. While traveling with yourthe owner of the dog guarded not only him, but also whiskey barrels, which were loaded in large quantities on ships for further shipment to Western scotch lovers. Once Jock was able to prevent a robbery attack on a warehouse located in the city of Glasgow. An angry growl and sonorous barking woke up the guards and the owner, and the robbers were detained.

Collie is long gone, as is William Grant, who died in 1923. The famous Scottish Collie whiskey was created at the end of the last century by David Stewart, a blending master. At that time, the great-grandson of the founder of the brand, Sandy, managed the company's affairs. It was he who came up with the idea for the name of the new drink.

Dreams

Before starting his own business, William Grant had to change several occupations. He was a courier, an assistant shoemaker, a security guard. He became interested in whiskey production while working as an accountant in a small distillery. The dreamy William often imagined what his family business would look like: own production, dedicated workers and the result of a job well done - "the best sip in the valley" (which is now known as Scottish Collie whiskey). However, it is worth noting that he did not just dream, but went long and hard towards the goal and, in the end, realized all his desires. True, it took two decades.

Throughout this time, Grant lived in a austerity regime. He first saved up £750, which he used to buy a small piece of land in Speyside. With the same money he bought an oldequipment and building materials. It happened in 1886. By that time, the novice distiller had a family and 9 children. Therefore, the enterprise was built together. Even two little daughters found something to do - they helped their mother in the kitchen and delivered ready-made food to their brothers, father and other workers.

The way to your own distillery

Scottish Collie Whiskey did not appear immediately. For the first 11 years, the family was engaged exclusively in distillation. The job was that they drove spirits for large companies that created blended whiskey. The beginning of their own production was helped by a case. Pattison`s, which bought their raw materials, declared itself bankrupt and the distilleries that had lost their places of sale for their products began to close, but this state of affairs did not suit the Grants. They decided to start blending and selling their own whiskey.

The implementation of the new drink fell on the shoulders of Grant's son-in-law, Charles Gordon, who was able to rent a store in Glasgow and began calling potential buyers himself, offering them "the best sip of the valley." The success of the drink could not be called instantaneous - only 12 bottles of Scottish Collie whiskey were sold in the first month. But the perseverance did not weaken, and sales gradually increased.

By the time of the death of the founder, the company was known far beyond the borders of England. The family business did not close not only during the war years, but even managed to survive the times of Prohibition. Over the 50 years of its existence, only five blending masters have changed. The first was William himself, and the last was Brian Kinsman. TodayWilliam Grant & Sons is run by Grant's great-grandson Peter.

Production Features

Most m alt spirits are produced at two distilleries - Balvenie and Glenfiddich, and grains at Girvan, which was built in the west of Scotland in 1963.

Maturation of spirits lasts at least three years and takes place in oak barrels from bourbon. Then, to create a blend, they are mixed and only then the finished blend is aged for about six months in white oak barrels. This technology allows you to create the bright color and pleasant honey aroma that Scottish Collie is famous for.

The company has its own cooper shop. They are the ones who burn old barrels and make new ones.

William Grant & Sons cherishes tradition and continuity. Therefore, each next blender, who has taken up his duties, strictly follows the recipe created by his predecessor. Brian Kinsman took over the post in 2008.

Views

"Scottish Collie" 40% prepared according to the classic scheme with a three-year exposure. It has a bright tea color and a pleasant honey-citrus smell. Reviews of Scottish Collie whiskey claim that notes of vanilla and orange predominate in a mild taste. And the aftertaste pleases with a light smoke.

"Scottish Collie" 12 Years Old, 40%. Scotch has a rich honey color. Due to the fact that the maturation process took place in bourbon barrels, the drink acquired a bright golden color and strongaroma. The 20-year exposure also left its mark: the whiskey acquired an oily taste. Despite this, it is easy to drink, and the original packaging in the form of a tube or box complete with glasses makes it a great gift for lovers of strong alcoholic drinks.

Whiskey price:

1. Scottish Collie 0, 35 l 12-year-old - from 550 to 690 rubles.
2. Whiskey Scottish Collie 0.5 l 12-year-old - from 900 to 1,150 rubles.
3. Scottish Collie 0, 2 l 12-year-old - from 450 to 600 rubles.
4. Whiskey Scottish Collie 0, 7 l 12-year-old - from 900 to 1,150 rubles.
5. Scottish Collie 3-year-old 0.5 l - from 650 to 750 rubles.
6. Scottish Collie 1 l 3-year-old - from 750 to 900 rubles.
7. Scottish Collie 3-year-old 0.7 l - from 650 to 750 rubles.
8. Scottish Collie 3-year-old 0.5 l in a gift box with a branded glass - from 950 to 1,100 rubles.
9. Scottish Collie 12-year-old 0.5 l in a gift tube - from 1,000 to 1,100 rubles.
10. Scottish Collie 3-year-old 0.7 l in a gift tube - from 1,150 to 1,220 rubles.

For a larger company, the manufacturer offers to buy whiskey on a swing stand with four branded glasses. The cost of the set is from 9,500 to 10,500 rubles.

Consumer Opinion

In their reviews, customers noticed that the design of the bottle is completely unremarkable, but considering that this is an inexpensive blended whiskey, you should not expect more.

And now for the content. The aroma was described as pleasant with light notes of citrus and vanilla. The sharpness is average, soIn classical use, that is, in its pure form, the alcohol content is not felt at all. The aftertaste was short with light hints of smoke.

We almost forgot about the main indicator of all alcoholic beverages! Men have confirmed that after eating Scottish Collie in a reasonable amount, the head does not hurt. So feel free to buy and keep warm on cold winter days.