Dewar’s 8 Year Old French Cask Smooth
Apple Brandy Cask Finish Blended Scotch Whisky
40% ABV
$24.99
Website
We would like to thank Dewar’s and Nike Communications for sending us a sample to review.
What the Producer Says
Dewar’s French Smooth, debuting in October 2022, is a result of finishing the brand’s signature 8-year-old, double-aged blend in Apple Brandy Calvados casks from the orchards of Normandy, France. The unexpectedly decadent Dewar’s French Smooth utilizes the oak that creates the traditional Calvados cider to enhance the sweetness of the liquid to develop a delicious blend between baked apples, citrus, and a hint of cinnamon. Given this unique characteristic, the notes on the nose create a complex yet sweet smell with a honeyed sweetness and a dusting of crème anglaise.
Thanks to the crisp taste of the apples, the finished product becomes a perfect study of balance, creaminess, and the encapsulation of the best of France & Scotland coming together while providing a modest price point for the supremely smooth liquid.
Perfectly paired with apple picking season, this liquid embodies the essence of the fall and encaptures that warm cozy feeling. If you’re looking for festive cocktails, look no further than the Dewar’s Apple Nouvelle Cocktail and the Dewar’s Apple Cinnamon Highball. With hints of apple and citrus, these drinks truly transport you to the orchards of Normandy.
The Apple Nouvelle Cocktail: A sparkling tipple bursting with French finesse, bringing the orchard flavor of Calvados to life with sweet floral elderflower, fresh apples, and sparkling French bubbles. Santé
Ingredients
1oz Dewar’s French Smooth Blended Scotch Whisky
0.5oz St Germain
1oz cloudy apple juice
chilled soda water
French sparkling wine
Method: Add whisky, St Germain, and apple juice to a cocktail shaker and shake hard with cubed ice, then double strain into chilled coupette glass, and top with a small dash of soda, then sparkling wine.
Apple Cinnamon Highball: Bursting with green orchard fruits and sweet spices, a fruity, zesty, and refreshing highball.
Ingredients
1.5oz Dewar’s French Smooth Blended Scotch Whisky
0.5oz lemon juice
0.5oz cinnamon syrup
1oz cloudy apple juice
3oz soda water
Method: Add whisky, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup, and apple juice to a highball glass, then fill the glass with cubed ice. Top with soda, stir from the bottom up and garnish with an apple slice.
What Gary Says
Nose: Malt, fruity with apples, pears, subtle cinnamon, tangerines and a grassy, heather note.
Palate: Sweet with honey, apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, a hint of graham cracker with a light citrus note.
Finish: Moderately long with cinnamon baked apples.
Comments: Wow! This is dangerously drinkable, and delicious. It is definitely on the sweet side of the spectrum, but I love the Calvados finish on this, and as I’m trying this the first week of fall – it is striking all of the right seasonal notes. Really appreciate the screw cap enclosure. At first I thought maybe it was just the right pour at the right time, but in revisiting this a few more times – it is just a really delightful dram. I wish it was bottled higher than 40% (and as such, I wouldn’t bother with any water, although I did try a few drops which didn’t wreck it). I’ve only tried the Dewar’s Ilegal Smooth and Caribbean Smooth, but I liked this significantly more than both of those.