Not exactly a house-hold name in the world of scotch blends, Grand Macnish has actually been in continuous production since 1863. Owned by MacDuff International, the brand has seen a recent expansion into a wide number of expressions (including several aged-stated ones). This is review of the entry-level version, which is the most common offering.

The whisky was originally developed by a Glasgow merchant, Robert McNish, who wanted to create a lighter, smoother type of scotch. It is composed of malt and grain whiskies from around the highland/speyside regions of Scotland. While it is not widely available, this entry-level blend has been sold at the LCBO for some time now (currently $40 CAD for 1.14L bottle). Bottled at 40% ABV. I managed to sample it from a friend’s recently opened bottle.

Let’s see how it compares to other entry-level blends in Meta-Critic Whisky Database:

Ballantine’s Finest: 7.62 ± 0.61 on 12 reviews ($)

Catto’s 12yo: 8.06 ± 0.31 on 5 reviews ($$)

Catto’s Rare Old: 8.02 ± 0.67 on 5 reviews ($)

Chivas Regal 12yo: 7.79 ± 0.44 on 23 reviews ($$)

Cutty Sark: 7.54 ± 0.46 on 15 reviews ($)

Cutty Sark Prohibition: 8.48 ± 0.47 on 14 reviews ($$)

Dewar’s 12yo: 7.94 ± 0.35 on 14 reviews ($$)

Dewar’s White Label: 7.52 ± 0.71 on 14 reviews ($$)

Famous Grouse: 7.65 ± 0.55 on 20 reviews ($)

Grand Macnish: 7.87 ± 0.45 on 8 reviews ($)

Grant’s Blended Sherry Cask: 8.00 ± 0.21 on 6 reviews ($)

Grant’s Family Reserve Blended: 7.69 ± 0.66 on 14 reviews ($)

Hankey Bannister 12yo Regency: 8.65 ± 0.24 on 7 reviews ($$)

Hankey Bannister Original: 7.87 ± 0.31 on 6 reviews ($)

Johnnie Walker 12yo Black Label: 8.26 ± 0.47 on 24 reviews ($$)

Johnnie Walker Red Label: 7.36 ± 0.59 on 21 reviews ($)

Passport Blended Scotch: 7.29 ± 1.08 on 8 reviews ($)

Teacher’s Highland Cream: 7.95 ± 0.72 on 11 reviews ($)

Whyte & Mackay Special Reserve: 7.47 ± 0.45 on 7 reviews ($)

For the entry-level scotch category, Grand Macnish scores at the higher end of the range.

Let’s see what I find in the glass:

Nose: Heavy brown sugar to start. Pear. Raisins. Lemon curd. A bit floral (lavender). Touch of cloves. Some acetone and raw ethanol, but not bad. Slightly musty note.

Palate: Molasses and brown sugar. Vanilla. Apple and pear. Light cinnamon and pepper. A touch of nuts. Some wet cardboard. Watery mouthfeel, comes across as fairly thin.

Finish: Short. Slight oaky bitterness with a vague frutiness (nothing very distinct). But not unpleasant.

I would rate this as on par (or slightly higher) than the Meta-Critic average. It has relatively few off-notes on the nose, which is surprising for a blend in this price category. While fairly basic and single, it is better than your typical bottom-shelf scotch blend. An easy to drink blend, I would recommend this one for those newcomers to scotch whisky.

The most positive review I’ve seen comes for Jan of Best Shot Whisky. Jim Murray, Ralfy, and Patrick of Quebec Whisky and Serge of Whisky Fun are all relatively positive for the category (and in line with my thinking). The lowest scores I’ve seen comes from RV of Quebec Whisky and Jason of In Search of Elegance.