Review #109 - Grangestone 12 Year
'Big-Box Retailer' Scotch Series: Part 3 of 6
The next Total Wine whisky we're looking at is actually a return to Grangestone - instead of the NAS sherry cask from last week, this is the aged-stated 12 year old. Bottled by William Grant & Sons, this is another unnamed distillery's distillate, presented at 40% ABV. There's no information on cask regimen on the packaging, but based on the taste, we're going to guess it's primarily ex-bourbon maturation.
Grangestone 12 Year
Scotland/Highlands - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 38 (2023)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 40% ABV
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 100% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: On the sweeter and friendlier side - light, with perfume and sweet fruits like nectarine and ripe pear. It can be slightly floral, with hints of baked goods and a mild oak influence. With more time, very sweet apple comes to the forefront.
Palate: Slightly stronger red fruit on the palate, with more baking spices as well. Red apples and other orchard fruits, some mild cinnamon, but the medium-thin mouthfeel begins to limit the amount of flavor coming through. Not too oily, but pleasant to sip on, if a bit plain.
Finish: Medium-short finish, pretty mild and still on the sweeter side. A few orchard and stone fruits of pear, peach, and apple, and some barrel spice creeps in, adding a bit of baking spice as well.
Final Note: Sort of pleasant and inoffensive, but the low strength starts to take away from the experience in the palate. Not too complex and not especially interesting, but it's easy to sip on, and value is alright due to the reasonable price.
Our Average Rating: 5.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.74
Check out some of our other Grangestone reviews:
