Pig's Nose Scotch Whiskey

Recently, after returning home to Boston from a short vacation in Cazenovia, New York with Jenny, I found myself looking for a little something special at the local Wino-Mart. The two of us traipsed over to our neighborhood purveyor of fine spirits and purchased a few bottles of wine and went to check out when I noticed a friendly swine staring at me from the counter. I asked the clerk if he had tried this Scotch Whiskey, called Pig’s Nose, before and he had not. I picked a bottle up and, convinced by Jenny who loves herself some graphic design, paid the $36 for the 750ml bottle of 80-proof amber Scotch.

The label touts this Scotch as “Smooth as a Pig’s Nose”, hence the name, but I would have to agree that this is the single smoothest blended Scotch whiskey I have ever tasted. The smell is very pleasant with notes of honey and oak while the flavor is not even remotely sharp. Elements of sweet honey and apples are present along with a smoky oak aftertaste. This is a very drinkable Scotch, but not very interesting at the same time. I recommend drinking it neat as it doesn’t need anything to cut the attack. I would recommend this Scotch for newcomers to the spirit looking for something inoffensive to get their footing. It’s not that Pig’s Nose is bad Scotch, far from it, it just doesn’t have as much character as I prefer in my whiskey. I ended up filling my favorite flask with this tasty spirit, this will ensure it is enjoyed the best way possible; unadorned and among friends.

- Connoisseur Tom