“Living on the Edge”
Country: Scotland
Brand: Sir Edward's Rare Blend
Bottler: Bardinet Group, Bordeaux
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS
ABV: 40 %
Colour: Amber
Nose: Light, slightly Sharp and Edgy with Refill Oak, Grain Alcohol, Nut Shells, Cereals, Straw, Sugar, light Citrus, Toast with Margarine and hints of Malt, Dirt Road, Banana Bread and Honey. There's not much going on here but at this Price Level I have nosed worse whiskies.
Palate: Rough, a little Hot, Sugary Sweet and Watery. I find Sugared Grains, Refill Oak, Grain Alcohol, Ultralight Vanilla, Cough Syrup, Pepper, Licorice and hints of Malt and Citrus.
Finish: Short, Rough and Sweet with Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Licorice, Refill Oak, Pepper and Wood Spice.
Don't add Water to this Blend. You will ruin it completely.
Rating: 70
Nose: 18 - Taste: 17.5 - Finish: 17 - Overall: 17.5
"Living on the Edge" - Photo Credit: Pat Cegan
General Remarks: It’s not easy to find a lot of information about this Blend. It has a brother or sister that’s called Glen Edward’s, but that’s a Blend of Malt Whiskies that I reviewed before. Owner of the Brand name is the French based Bardinet Group who also owns Glen Moray. This might give us an indication as to the Edward’s core Malt ingredient. It ages in Oak Barrels. Wow! Ah yes, the son of the owner of the Bardinet group, the late Paul Bardinet, is indeed called Edward! The whisky is apparently distilled by Leith Distillers from Edinburgh, a daughter company of Whyte and Mackay. It is then shipped in bulk to France where it is bottled in Bordeaux by Bardinet. I bought my Sir Edward's miniature (same label as Glen Edward’s by the way) in the Gordon & MacPhail shop in Elgin. The label states that the whisky is aged and distilled in Scotland. There is also a 12 Years Expression of Sir Edward's on the market but I haven't come across it as yet. Sir Edward's Rare Blend is quite cheap at an average 15 US Dollars per bottle.
Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average.
Conclusion: It's of course impossible to spend 15 US Dollars for a bottle of Sir Edward's Rare Blended Scotch Whisky and expect to enter the Gates of Heaven.
Because you don't! But I must admit I have nosed and even tasted far worse stuff at this Price Level. The Nose is certainly not obnoxious. It's very simple of course and shows all the well-known characteristics of a bottom shelf Blend. It's Edgy, Sugary and Grainy. It's on the Palate however that you will find that it's easier to compare Sir Edward's to cheap Vodka and Gin than to Whisky. Why? Because it simply lacks sufficient Flavours. I scored it exactly at 70 Points to make it clear that this Blend lives on the Edge between what I consider to be Whisky and what is pure Alcohol. I do not recommend this to people who like Whisky. But if your maximum budget for a bottle of booze is 15 US Dollars, you might consider Sir Edward. Although I still think it's better to buy a standard Bourbon for that price!
Jan van den Ende December 4, 2014
15 comments:
Definitely get a bottom shelf straight Bourbon at that low price point. Like Heaven Hill BiB, or Evan Williams Black. They have some recommendable flavor and character. Scotch starts getting decent at double this price point. Thanks for reviewing this brand. Ive never seen or.heard of it!
You're absolutely right Joshua. If you want to drink, Bourbon is a much better alternative. It is also better for mixing. At least with Sweet Soft Drinks and the like! Thanks for your reaction!
Cheers!
Jan
Well, i tasted that Sir edwards smoky Scotch and i would compare it with teachers Highland cream. Both contain malt Whisky. I was realy positive surprised of smokys taste. It is a well balanced blend with several tastes ans good to get served pur.
A good every day Whisky for this Low price !!!
Hi Michael, thanks for commenting! Appreciated! Glad that Sir Edwards worked for you! It is of course a very cheap Whisky so you can't expect Whisky Heaven. I still believe though that standard Bourbons have a much better Price/Quality ratio than these Bottom Shelf Scottish Blends. But that's my personal opinion of course. Cheers Michael!
What is best smoky or age12 or finest or beer reserve
Hi there, thanks for commenting! Please leave your (first) name next time. That makes it a bit more personal! Your question is very broad by the way. If I understand your question correctly you ask what I think to be the best smoky Malt, the best 12 year old Malt, the best Finest or the best Beer reserve. L:et's start with the last two. Finest is a word used by the industry to indicate some extra quality but in fact it's just a market expression. Forget that word when buying a whisky. It doesn't add anything. Since a few years some distilleries are experimenting with finishing the Malt in casks that used to contain Beer. In my experience, the impact is limited and just add some more citric and yeast notes. It's not a game changer though. My favourite affordable Smoky single Malt are Ardbeg 10 Years, Talisker 10 Years and Caol Ila 12 years. My favorite smoky Blended whisky is still JW Black. My non smoky favorite 12 year old single malt is probably the Glenfarclas 12 years. I hope that answers your question. Cheers, Jan.
Good
Hi Shefeek, thanks for commenting. Certainly okay given its price! Cheers, Jan.
Hi can I use an unopened bottle of Edwards 20yrs old left in a dark room covered in a rubble and dust. Any issues if I clean the bottle and open and use it. Is it safe???
Hi Nag Anand, sorry for my late response but I was traveling. No problem whatsoever if the bottle was closed in a correct way without letting the air come in. The high alcohol percentage preserves the whisky and prevents contamination. Cheers, Jan.
This is by far and above the worst alchohol I have ever had. I'm no snob. I drink cheap stuff all the time. But his is worse than $5 Canadian whiskey by a land slide. Unless you like drinking 50% alcohol rub and 50% liquid smoke.
Hi there, thanks for commenting. Please leave your (first) name next time. I mostly agree with you although I've had worse during my whisky trip. I didn't experience a lot of cheap Canadian Whiskies so far so I can't make that comparison. I do remember that the Crown Royal Fine De Luxe was much better than Sir Edwards! Cheers, Jan.🥃
Any port in a storm. It's not that bad. Stranded on a desert island with a case of this you wouldn't complain. Some people are such snobs.
Not so bad as people make out. Palatable.....good with a mixer if you must.....what's to complain about at the price?
Hi Denis, thanks for reacting. Taste is a very personal thing. So if people dislike a certain whisky I would personally not go as far as to call them snobs. Something cheap can taste good and something expensive can taste horrible. Your tastebuds are as good as mine or anybody else for that matter. I've tasted almost 1500 different whiskies so far and i've reviewed over a 1000. In the meantime I have learned the differences between a good whisky, an indifferent whisky and a not so good whisky from a quality point of view. That way I find Sir Edwards borderline okay. That does not mean it tastes bad. That's just a matter of personal preference. For that money I prefer a Bourbon but if you like Sir Edwards then good for you! Enjoy!
Cheers, Jan 🥃
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