Review #110 - Shieldaig 12 Year
'Big-Box Retailer' Scotch Series: Part 4 of 6
Now to Speyside with these big-box retailer brands - we have Shieldaig, an undisclosed Speysider brand owned by Ian Macleod Distillers. They also own Glengoyne and Tamdhu (and the newly rebuilt lowland Rosebank), which could point to possible source of the liquid, but the company also releases whiskies under a number of other blending brands, so they likely have access to casks outside their own portfolio of distilleries.
This 12 year Shieldaig comes with the big-box special: 40% ABV presentation, no statements on chill filtering or coloring (likely plenty of both), and very little real information on the packaging... it's mostly marketing gibberish about Scottish geography.
Shieldaig 12 Year
Scotland/Speyside - 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: Light crisp fruits, like apples and sweet pear. There's some fresh baked bread as well - this is on the light side in general, with vanilla and pancakes coming in, some honey, too. We do get mild baking spices and just a soft oak influence with more time, along with hints of red or orange fruits.
Palate: Lots of sugary notes - this is a thin palate, though. Sugary, vanilla, some sugar cookie flavors, but it also turns slightly more dry and bitter later on. Fibrous oak, some sour apple, underripe pear, and a bland biscuit all come in, and we end with some more breadiness.
Finish: The finish is short, with more fruits: white grape, mellow apple, and pear all come to mind. There are some baking spices floating in, both nutty and sweet: clove, nutmeg, vanilla are all here. It's relatively soft on this finish, and trails off rather quickly.
Final Note: Soft and easy, your classic ex-bourbon Speyside flavor profile, but a bit weak and boring at times. It's not offensive in any way, and could be an easy sipper, but the flavors aren't going to captivate you or grab your attention. Value isn't bad since this is relatively cheap.
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: 6.63
