This bottle started when a giant American retailer (who will remain unnamed) commissioned this well-established blending house to create a Johnnie Walker substitute called Granndach: a super smooth 12 year old blend with a solid backbone of Tullibardine single malt (amongst other Highland malts), coupled with a 12 year old grain component. 

Then the unthinkable happened: COVID began driving away in-store retail traffic and that large American retailer reneged on the deal, leaving the bottler high and dry with the bespoke inventory and a huge warehousing issue. Suddenly these became a great deal, and—after tasting how good it was—we couldn't refuse.

So this bottle offers a quality 12 year old Scotch for an absurd price. Bottled at 80 proof, the flavors of the Granndach are traditional and to-the-point, and the style is old school in its nature. That being said, for what it is….it’s really, really good. It’s a classic Highland style blended Scotch that absolutely delivers for the dollar. You can tell the malt content is higher, the texture is supple and creamy, and the finish is sweet with vanilla and toasted grains. I could drink this on the rocks all day, or with soda in a Highball on a warm summer evening.  As I’m tasting it now, I’m looking for flaws and I can’t find any. In fact, I’m marveling in the richness and surprisingly decadent flavors that continue to build with each sip. If I had to compare it to a Bourbon, I would use Eagle Rare 10 as a qualitative comparison. Solid, dependable, always a great option for the price.