Té Bheag Nan Eilean

Té Bheag seems to fare quite well in some circles, and I was interested to try a bottle for myself when I saw it at the reasonable price of CAD $15 at a local supermarket. That was only two months ago, and I’m already down to the last third of the bottle. At this pace, I figured a review was in order now before it’s all gone. For info on the producers and the correct pronunciation of the name, I suggest you consult some of the earlier reviews. I’m more interested in jumping right in here…

Nose: Rich toffee, cereal, a slightly astringent graininess, apple cider, gentle grass, very light smoke.

Palate: A soft, well-paced arrival with a bit of everything. There’s an indistinctive sherried fruitiness and some soft peat, with some smooth coffee and milk chocolate.

Finish: Cadbury’s Fruit & Nut, toffee, apricot, cereal, grain, instant coffee, and earthy peat. Short-to-medium finish with some quiet complexity and intensity.

Well, it is and it isn’t a standard blend. It’s likeable, drinkable, and quite accessible. However the middle—of-the-road flavours in here come off a bit more distinctive and emboldened than they do in others. Also, while this has a particularly high malt content, the grain element here isn’t hidden, ironed-over, or ignored. Grain is an integral part of this whisky and it seems to wear that as a badge of honour. It’s used as a complimentary flavour here, not a hidden one, and that’s a refreshing approach that I wish other blends would embrace. Recommended.