This is an eventful day for us at S&P. For the first time since August 2019, all 5 of us are drinking together. We've assembled plenty of times in between, as much as Covid allowed, but there was always at least 1 person sending regrets. This is special too as Sean is making the trip from his new home in Thunder Bay, 16 hours drive away from friends and family. We've got a 10 bottle line up to review for tonight including something special that we purchased for our 100th review with all 5 members of S&P.
We start off easy for our tastebuds with McClelland Highland, reputed to be a Glen Garioch (as that is the only Highland distilliery Morrison Bowmore owned, although BeamSuntory have acquired Morrison Bowmore and also own Ardmore, so this could've changed). There are 4 bottles under the McClelland brand, each intented to be a bottom shelf representation of a region of Scotland. 40% ABV. $45 CAD. Highland. No age statement.
We sniff around:
Simon says it just smells like honey. Little apples. Almost a candy.
Scott gets a little orange peel. Citrusy. French vanilla.
We cheers.
Simon starts us off with sweet and musty. Like honey drizzled must.
Kyle gets a little strawberry.
It's watery. There's a little spice that sticks around the whole time.
Sean pulls a honey-malty note.
Reviews: Kyle starts us off at 72. For what it's doing and the price point, it's doing a good job. All the McClelland's make great entry level scotches. Simon is at 67. The Speyside was much better and he would point people in that direction. The Highland is not unpleasant but thin. Scott goes 69. The flavors are nice. It doesn't do a bad job at representing the generical Highland, but boring and thin. Trevor doesn't hate it, but it's dull. 71. Sean wraps it up with 68. Little watery but good introduction. Averages out to 69.4.
Overall: Probably the review you expected. Based on our tasting of Glen Garioch Founder's Reserve, we are going to guess this is still Glen Garioch and has not transitioned to Ardmore. We do think the McClelland Speyside reviewed in March was a notch better put together and interesting. We split the McClelland Islay recently as well, so that review will be coming in the next couple months. Despite this doing well on our value scale at 79 points, I don't think any of us will be repurchasing this one. There's some slightly more expensive bottles that do a much better job at representing the generic Highland.
Cheers!
The S&P Crew.
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