Mary Stuart Blended Scotch Whisky Review

*This is a picture of a bottle of Craigmhor Blended Whisky. The only available picture of the Craigmhor Mary Stuart Blend is the Group Picture you will find below. The Mary Stuart is the second bottle from the left.

Country: Scotland 

Brand: Mary Stuart 

Blended (Probably) by Craigmhor Whisky Ltd, Glasgow

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky

Age: NAS 

ABV: 43 %

Colour: Light Gold

Nose: Clear Bourbon notes with Vanilla, Glue and American White Oak. But also Buttered Toast, Grain, Honey, Floral Tones, Malt, Citrus Peel, Chopped Walnuts, Straw, Pear, Banana and Melon. Not bad at all for a Blended Whisky. A bit in the style of The Glenlivet 12 French Oak.

Palate: Light and Pretty Standard with Oak, Vanilla, White Pepper, Aniseed, Honey, Licorice and some Fruity and Floral Notes. Hint of Plastic. I expected a lot more after the pleasant Nose.

Finish: Not too long and slightly boring with Malt, Buttered Toast, Oak, Aniseed, Honey, Licorice, some Sweet Fruit and White Pepper.

With a bit of water the Nose gets dominated by Buttered Toast, Oak and Vanilla. Palate and Finish are watered down while Licorice and Plastic are picking up. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 79 

Nose: 21 - Taste: 19 - Finish: 19 - Overall: 20

General Remarks: The whisky I'm tasting today is part of a box containing six Blended Scotch Whisky samples produced somewhere between 1955 and 1965. They are all named after English and Scottish royalties. This box-set is sold by the Dutch based Rare Whisky Site www.rarewhiskysite.com. Other than that I could not find one bit of information on the Mary Stuart Blended Whisky. I have no idea if full bottles are still available and, if so, at what price!

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: It is said that Blended Whisky used to be a lot better in the old days. This Mary Stuart certainly has a pleasant Nose when compared to the portrait below and many of today's Standard Blends. But on the Palate this is just as forgettable. I have tried Queen Elizabeth and Mary Stuart and honestly speaking We Are Not Amused! However, we still have King Edward I, King Edgar, Queen of Scotland and Queen Anne. So maybe we will find the hidden royal blended treasure of the Sixties yet. Stay tuned!

Jan van den Ende                                                                     March 7, 2013