IT'S our national drink and shops and supermarkets home and abroad stock a sometimes bewildering array of blended whisky.
Many are familiar household names, while others aim for some quaint Scottish touch that you just know has been dreamed by someone pushing a romantic image but has never set foot in the country - and probably not tasted the product.
And while some folk will claim there's no such thing as a bad dram, the quality can often vary considerably. Let's face it, most of us have had a nip that we'd rather was confined to a cooking ingredient or hot toddy.
So with St Andrew's Day approaching, the Tried and Tested team decided it was our patriotic duty to give a verdict on some of the not so well-known whisky blends on offer on the shelves, rather than the giant top-selling labels.
Here is what our testers thought of those offered for review.
Hunter's Glen Finest Premium Delux (8 years) - 70cl RRP £11.99 (Lidl)
The first thing you notice about this blend from German supermarket chain Lidl is the raw spirit smell. Tasted neat, it leaves a fiery sensation in the mouth which is over-powering.
Add a little water, and the whisky is smoother and more palatable but ultimately bland and lacking in character.
This is definitely a dram to be taken with a mixer.
2/5
PB
Kenmore Special Reserve, 5 years old - 70cl £14.99
KENMORE Special Reserve is a five-year-old blended scotch whisky from Marks & Spencer. Nicely presented in a classically embossed whisky bottle, it is pleasing to the eye as well as the taste buds.
This is a smooth and easy whisky to drink, and there are also some very pleasant tones of peat which add an enjoyable richness to the taste.
Bottled in Glasgow by Burn Stewart distilleries, it achieves the high standard I would normally expect of other well-known branded whiskies.
The price is appealing too, being less than £15, making it an affordable treat for any cold, rainy weekend.
3/5
SC
Chivas Regal 18 Years Gold Signature - 70cl RRP £41.59
Available in many supermarkets and made from whiskies matured for at least 18 years, this is certainly an ultra-premium blend for those who can stump up the 40 quid price tag or keep an eye out for a special offer reduction.
But this is a superb dram.
The smell is subtle and slightly sweet. Neat, it is smooth and gently warming on the tongue, with deep flavours and a last rich after-taste.
Add a drop of water and the rewards are even greater. It really does have the subtle toffee and fruity flavour described on the decorative box by its creator, Chivas master blender Colin Scott.
This magnificent blend really is liquid gold - but is pricier than many standard 12, 15 and 18 year-old single malts. But if you've got the readies and in the market for a classic, it is well worth considering as an alternative
5/5
PB
Queen Margot Finest Scotch Whisky - 70cl, £9.97 from Lidl.
I MUST admit to being a little apprehensive when I opened this relatively cheap bottle of Scotch, but after a few sips I was pleasantly surprised.
Drinking it straight was a little harsh for my tastes, so I added just a couple of drops of water and it was transformed into a perfectly decent glass of whisky.
This wasn't what I expected for under a tenner. I thought this would be a bottle to offer my father-in-law on his next visit but I think it may not last that long!
There's nothing exceptional to write home about as far as flavours go, but this is a fairly basic bottle of booze produced by the Clydesdale Scotch Whisky Company in Glasgow.
And, at this price, I would definitely recommend a dram or two, purely for value for money.
4/5
JD
The Black Grouse by Matthew Gloag & Son - 70cl £17.50
If Famous Grouse is your favourite blend and you're not against a hint of Islay peat and smokiness in your dram, it might be worth trading up an extra quid or so to give its cousin The Black Grouse a try.
Created in 2007 and originally earmarked for the Swedish market, it's also been helping protect the rare Scottish bird with a donation from each bottle being given by Matthew Gloag & Son to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. So far that's added up to a not too shabby £450,000 and some of the money has gone to the black grouse project at Corrimony outside Inverness.
But in the glass, is The Black Grouse a high-flier?
You're just loving the smooth luxury of it all before the coal tar edge of peat and just a hint of smokiness hits.
And for anyone who loves the peaty single malts, this is a really good cheaper alternative to a single malt like Laphroaig.
There's a spiciness in there too that makes for moreishness.
For your more sophisticated pals, why not try Black Grouse cocktail Black and Black - Black Grouse, cola, ice and a wedge of orange.
And if that makes your favourite whisky snob choke on their vintage single malt, try their expertise with a blind tasting of The Black Grouse.
There's a fair chance the blend that tastes almost too good to be a blend might bring them crashing to earth
5/5
MC
Highland Earl - 70cl £9.99 from Aldi
THE Highland Earl may come from budget supermarket chain Aldi, but on a first swirl around your mouth, it's got a lot of class.
A nice gold colour in the bottle, the blend has lovely caramel overtones on the nose, and a rich full flavour, but the finish is disappointing and leaves a bitter aftertaste.
Yet if you're on a budget and you're likely to be drinking this with a mixer, the Highland Earl is definitely a good option.
3/5
MC
Isle of Skye, 8-year-old - 70cl RRP £11.39
THIS premium mature whisky from Ian MacLeod's Isle of Skye range is a winter delight which is sure to be a winner with many.
For those who would never normally dip from malts to blends, this is perhaps the one to change opinions.
It has a terrific balance, with subtle hints of honey and vanilla suitably not overpowering, combined with smoky and peaty influences this is a superb blend.
The majority of blends in this range are much older, but that doesn't detract from the quality of this one, which is a smooth drink to relax with at the end of the night.
The tempting description on the bottle promises "a high proportion of island and Speyside malts" and it doesn't disappoint.
The taste mixture of oak and malt bring a dramatic conclusion to this truly satisfying experience.
Retailing at just over £11.39, it will be surely be considered as well worth the money from the first sip.
4/5
PC
Tesco Special Reserve - 70cl RRP £11.47
WHISKY which wins silver in the International Wine and Spirit Society is not to be sniffed at - especially if it costs less than £12 per bottle.
The 70cl version of the Tesco Special Reserve retails at £11.47 and it's well worth a try.
Blends don't always deliver when it comes to smoothness, but this one bucks the trend and goes down a treat.
With or without ice, this drink, which is oak-aged for a minimum of three years, is a gem worth trying as the weather nips rather than warms, boosted by its slightly fruity hints.
I was disappointed, however, that the label gives no indication as to where in the Highlands the whiskies come from.
You can snap up the 35cl bottle for £5.82 or the 1-litre for £16.10. Whichever size you opt for, chances are it will leave a positive lasting impression.
3/5
PC
Highland Black - 70cl £11.99 from Aldi
THIS eight-year-old promises much. The fine-looking label looks as good as the other blended whiskies it competes with - Famous Grouse and Bell's - and its gold writing promises smooth and mellow contents.
Sadly, that's where the similarity ends: this is just no competition for the established blends. For smooth and mellow, read thin and sharp. In fact, so thin and sharp I had to slap the back of my neck after each sip in a comedy style. This just doesn't blossom into a fullness of flavour as the other blends do, just catching acidly on the back of the throat instead.
Whisky doesn't last long in my house and, although I'm into single malts, a good blended whisky can be demolished within a week (for purely medicinal reasons, of course). The Highland Black is still there, looking good on the shelf, but missing just two fingers of its acrid amber contents.
It may be there for some time.
1/5
SB
