“ Goats Head Soup”
Country: Scotland
Brand: Smoky Goat
Type: Blended Whisky
Age: NAS
Age: NAS
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: A mix of Refill, Rejuvenated, Re-Charred and First Fill Bourbon casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 25-30 (October 2017)
Buying Advice: 😒 Negative. Too Thin. Worn Out Casks.
Maturation: A mix of Refill, Rejuvenated, Re-Charred and First Fill Bourbon casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 25-30 (October 2017)
Buying Advice: 😒 Negative. Too Thin. Worn Out Casks.
Colour: Golden (Artificially Coloured)
Nose: Very Light. There's a faint Smoke there but it's so Thin it feels like a cask of Grain Alcohol was placed in a plane that flew over Islay for 10 minutes. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit but you get the picture. I also find slightly Burnt Toast with a little Margarine, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Treacle, Musty Cereals, Nutshells, Dusty Road, Refill Wood, Straw and hints of Apple-Vinegar, Stale Cocoa Powder and bitter Grapefruit Juice.
Palate: Thin, Watery, Hot and Bitter-Sweet with Grain Alcohol, Salted Caramel, Treacle, Nutshells, Toffee, light Dirty Smoke, Pepper, Menthol, Candies with Artificial Pineapple Flavour, Refill Wood and hints of Stale Cocoa Powder, Dairy and Cured Meat.
Finish: Bitter-Sweet, Light, Hot and Spicy. The Bitterness increases towards the end. I find Grain Alcohol, Refill Wood, Whispers of Smoke, Ashes and Soot, light Cocoa Powder, White Sugar, Pepper, Menthol, Grapefruit Juice and a hint of Cured Meat.
Drinking Advice:
I added a few drops of Water and it actually helps to diminish the Heat and the Bitterness. It becomes awfully Thin though.The creators advise you to drink this Blend on the Rocks as the Ice should help to release the Smoky Flavours. My sample was too small to try that out.
Rating: 72
Drinking Advice:
I added a few drops of Water and it actually helps to diminish the Heat and the Bitterness. It becomes awfully Thin though.The creators advise you to drink this Blend on the Rocks as the Ice should help to release the Smoky Flavours. My sample was too small to try that out.
Rating: 72
Nose: 18.5 - Taste: 18 - Finish: 17.5 - Overall: 18
General Remarks:
Smoky Goat is a mix of Scottish Grain Whisky, Highland - and Islay Malt. It was created by Craig Wallace, who is part of Whiskey Union, a creative collective, looking for unconventional Blends and flavour sensations. It's part of the Diageo Group and its products are distributed a/o by Flaviar who describe themselves as " a band of Spirit enthusiasts inspired by culture, rich history and also the art of distillation who forage the world of Spirits for the finest, rarest and most unique expressions out there and pack it all into a 21st century Members Club". Whiskey Union also released Boxing Hares, a mix of Blended Scottish Grain Whiskies and two Hop varieties namely Cascade, used in the production of American craft beers and Hallertau, used in the making of German Pilsner and Huxley, a blend of Scotch, Canadian and American Whisk(e)y. Smoky Goat is named after the wild goats that roam the rugged parts of Scotland.
Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average
Conclusion: I've said it before and I will say it again. It is impossible to create a good Whisky without using good Oak. Smoky Goat is a good example. It is probably made with 70/75% 3 year old Grain Whisky that matured in Refill Oak that was used many times before. The remaining 25/30% consists of young Highland Malt from one of Diageo's large Blend-Driven distilleries and a dash of Islay Malt, most likely from Caol Ila. Do I know this for a fact? No, but it simply smells and tastes like that. I do know that the word Whisky was called Uisge-Beatha in Scottish Gaelic. It means Water of Life. This Smoky Goat needs less Water and more Life!
Jan van den Ende October 14, 2017
Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average
Conclusion: I've said it before and I will say it again. It is impossible to create a good Whisky without using good Oak. Smoky Goat is a good example. It is probably made with 70/75% 3 year old Grain Whisky that matured in Refill Oak that was used many times before. The remaining 25/30% consists of young Highland Malt from one of Diageo's large Blend-Driven distilleries and a dash of Islay Malt, most likely from Caol Ila. Do I know this for a fact? No, but it simply smells and tastes like that. I do know that the word Whisky was called Uisge-Beatha in Scottish Gaelic. It means Water of Life. This Smoky Goat needs less Water and more Life!
Jan van den Ende October 14, 2017
The likely Islay Component of Smoky Goat
2 comments:
"It is impossible to create a good Whisky without using good Oak"
An utterly absurd assertion from an obvious dilettante.
Hi There, thanks for your comment. I would be nice to leave at least your first name when leaving such a strong comment. My utterly absurd assertion is based on the fact that it is generally accepted that 70% or more of the flavor of any whisky comes from the wood. It's also generally accepted that the more times you use a cask, the less flavors the spirit can extract. Most (if not all)cheaper blends are made using 2nd, 3rd or 4th refill casks. Blends further use around 70% of flavorless 3 year old Grain Whisky. Based on the above you can't expect to have lots of flavors in these kind of Blends. People might still like it or even love it of course as taste is strictly personal. But after having reviewed nearly 900 Blends and Single Malts I can tell you that Wood matters a lot!
Your faithful obvious dilettante Jan.
Cheers!
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