Black Bottle Blended Whisky

I realise I’ve allowed myself to become a bit tardy on the whisky front of late. It’s not that I’ve not been enjoying the odd dram or two, it’s just that I haven’t tried anything new, opting instead for reassuring familiar (namely Black Grouse).

They seek him here, they seek him there… Bailie Nicol Jarvie

Following my thoughts on the mighty Black Grouse, here’s another excellent blend that’s worth searching out.

Bailie Nicol Jarvie, or B.N.J. for the sake of brevity, is now the property of Glenmorangie and boasts the highest, or one of the highest, malt contents of any blend: 60%, sourced from the Highlands, Islay and Speyside.

It is presented in a bottle with a rather splendid antiquated label, although it’s easily identifiable on the shelf (if you can find it; more of that later) as it proudly displays a bold ‘B.N.J.’ on the shoulder of the bottle.

Whisky snobs look away now: Black Grouse

I may like malt whisky, but I can’t always afford it, particularly some of the ‘gourmet’ bottlings that distilleries are keen on tempting us all with.

Consequently, I’ve dabbled with a few blends and now have a couple of favourites. If you can get it, I can heartily recommend Bailie Nicol Jarvie.

More readily available is Black Grouse, a variant of Famous Grouse, which combines Islay Malts with the usual blend.

The bottle promises that characteristic Islay smokiness and, while present on the nose and hefty for a blend, it’s subdued. Certainly not one for the salivating smoke and peat heads out there.