Dewar’s 8 Year Caribbean Smooth
Balanced Flavor for the Apprentice or Enthusiast in Cocktails or Neat
Photo courtesy of Bacardi Ltd
Whisky Reviewed: Dewar’s 8 Year Caribbean Smooth
Distiller: John Dewar and Sons
Region: Blended Scotch Whisky
Suggested Retail Price: $25
ABV: 40%
Whisky Apostle Rating: Stands Out
Distiller Rating: 86
I’m sitting on my porch as the cool October rain pounds the earth and the warmth of a smooth, soft Scotch is a welcome refuge from nature’s wrath. Then the coconut sense rises in my glass and whisks me away to Cayman. For a few moments, I’m lost in a vision as the spirit works its magic.
Alas, I wake and I’m back on the soggy East Coast; not on some idyllic beach. But it was a grand dream and to think a mix of Scotland and the Islands was the reason.
Aging whisky in rum barrels is hard. They can hold light to dark and in between versions. The trick is to find a balance to produce a new label exciting enough on the palate that it transports the mind yet gentle on the wallet.
I recall how master blender Stephanie Macleod uses math to form flavors that delight us. When you consider of all the kegs parent firm Bacardi could supply, the choice is daunting. Without her science skills we wouldn’t enjoy this keen blend of tropics and highlands with a harmony that evokes the cocktail lover’s art.
Try the eight-year in a Pina Colada instead of the usual rum. You’ll gain a friend to invite to your house many times.
If you’re at the Apprentice stage, you’ll learn how other casks transform the common into the uncommon. The Enthusiast, on the other hand, updates their knowledge of what it means to drink Scotch. Savor a dram neat too. There’s a constant lightness in the extracts from nosing to the mouth feel and through to the finish.
It’s easy to imagine this new mark as an apéritif. Your meal will taste that much better for the groundwork.
Mark Garbin’s Evaluation
| Aromas & Flavor Appeals to: | Optimal Client Type | Great For: |
|---|---|---|
| Subtlety Aficionado | Apprentice | Cocktails |
| Power Flavor Admirer | Enthusiast | Neat Before Dinner |
| Balanced Devotee | Adventurer | With Food |
| Uni-Directional Fan | Mountain Climber | Dessert or Afterwards |
| Chameleon Lover | Hedonist | With a Cigar |
Whisk(e)y Apostle review: Crafted from 8-year-old blended Scotch whisky – double-aged and finished in casks that previously held Caribbean rum for a pleasantly unexpected Caribbean smooth and tropical flavor – This (sic) is an invigorating new blend bringing together two seemingly different worlds: Scotland and the Caribbean. The result is a slightly quirky, yet supremely smooth taste, unlike anything before. More than just great tasting Scotch, Dewar’s Caribbean Smooth brings two cultures together to create something uniquely richer. Rating: Stands Out.
Distiller review: This is a fun blended Scotch from Dewar’s, with finishing in rum casks bringing a little more depth to a fairly straightforward blend. It’s a pleasantly sweet whisky, with notes of cereal, vanilla, orange peel, and chamomile. A rounded, butterscotch sweetness gives it weight. At 80-proof and affordably priced, it’s a very sessionable Scotch. – Jacob Grier