Review #154 - The Sassenach Blended Scotch
Meaning 'stranger' or 'outlander,' and generally referring to the English, the term 'Sassenach' now has some association with the book and television series 'Outlander.' On the back of the success of the series, one of the main actors in the series launched a blended scotch brand, and used the 'sassenach' term on the label.
So, a celebrity-branded spirit, and one with a premium price tag - a recipe for success? Well, it's gaining some popularity, especially with fans of the book and television series, but we're not particularly concerned with that. We want to know: how is the liquid inside the bottle?
And... what is the liquid in the bottle? It's a blended scotch, so we can assume there's a mixture of malt and grain whisky here. There's no reference, however, to the source of the spirit - in fact, there's really no transparency at all, unlike many of the new whisky brands that have launched in the last five or ten years. We do get a strength of 46% ABV, at least, so there's one positive.
The only real information we get on the brand's website is a bunch of marketing jargon, like you might expect: lots of 'awards' have been won, it has 'distinct character' and 'smooth flavor,' and it's inspired by that rugged highland landscape. It's supposedly a limited edition of some sort, but it first became available more than two years ago, and it's still hanging around shelves near us...
The Sassenach Blended Scotch
Scotland - Blend
Current Locally Available Price: USD 120 (2023)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 46% ABV
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 3 months; bottles at 90% and 50% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Gentle, supple sweetness, but not overdone in that respect. There's a hint of a sherry cask, but mostly we get green apple and ripe pear, some white grape and wine. Hints of black pepper give just a slight kick, but this is generally very mellow.
Palate: Warm and sweet, but a medium-thin mouthfeel. Fruit is again the dominant theme - red fruits like some sherry, but also crisp apple and grape. A bit of baked goods like bread or biscuits, a light, toasty oak influence, and a soft barrel spice... the sweetness subsides later to become more balanced.
Finish: Medium-short in length, and mellow, with not too much going on. Again, apples and pears and some pale oak are the core flavors; later, hints of baking spice and tannins.
Final Note: Well, they lauded this as a 'smooth' whisky on their website, and they've nailed it - this is inoffensive, single-lane, and slightly bland. The flavors aren't inherently bad, but it's very simple and comes across as weaker than its 46% ABV would make us expect. As for value - because this is a product with celebrity-heavy branding, they're demanding quite a premium for it. When we saw it first released, $100 was the asking price, and now it's $120; that's just far too much.
Our Average Rating: 5.8 / 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: 4.79
