Shieldaig is not an
actual distillery. That’s not unusual in the Wonderful World of Whisky – most
of us know that brands source barrels and then slap their label on the bottle.
We call the folks that do that an Independent
Bottler. Some independent bottlers have earned incredible reputations, they
charge a tidy sum for what they market, and they’re worth every penny. Others
are far less skilled, and even if they sell at rock-bottom prices, you still
feel ripped off after you’ve tried it.
Shieldaig is part of the Spirits Direct program of Total Wine & More. Some Spirits Direct offerings are house
labels – stuff exclusive to the store. Others, such as Angel’s Envy, fit in some other way.
Today we’re going to
explore Shieldaig Single Malt Scotch
Whisky. The label states it is a dozen years old, it comes from the
Speyside region, and is bottled in Scotland by William Maxwell & Co., Ltd. It is bottled at 40% ABV (80°), and
you can buy a 750ml from Total Wine for about $23.00.
Now, Shieldaig doesn’t
disclose who the distiller of this bottle is, but we can do some extrapolation.
William Maxwell & Co., Ltd. is a legitimate independent bottler, sourcing
barrels from various well-respected and coveted distilleries and owning about
42 some-odd labels. That company is a subsidiary of Peter J. Russell. Who is Peter J. Russell? The founder of Ian MacLeod & Co., which happens to
be the 10th largest Scotch whisky company globally.
Ian MacLeod & Co. owns
two distilleries: Glengoyne, from the Highland region, and Tamdhu, from Speyside. A single malt whisky means that everything
comes from a single distillery. In theory, Ian MacLeod could purchase many
barrels from an undisclosed distillery to keep the Shieldaig brand going. It is
more likely and more logical that Tamdhu is the source.
I picked up a 50ml taster
from Total Wine for $2.99 in Minnesota. Did I do okay, or should I have snagged
a full 750ml? The answer to that question lies in the tasting. Let’s #DrinkCurious and find out.
Appearance: Served neat in my Glencairn glass, Sheildaig
gold in color. It formed a thicker rim which yielded slow, sticky legs.
Nose: It was easy to pick out apple, pear, vanilla,
and honey notes. With a bit more effort, English toffee was also present. As I
drew the air into my mouth, raisin and apple danced across my tongue.
Palate: The
mouthfeel was watery and medium-bodied. Honey and vanilla were on the front,
while flavors of butterscotch and oak took up the middle. On the back, astringent overwhelmed anything
else that might have been there. No matter how many sips I attempted, nothing changed.
Finish: The finish continued with that medicinal
quality and featured toasted oak, vanilla, and malt. It also left tannin on my
tongue that wouldn’t go away.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The nose convinced me this came from the
Tamdhu Distillery. So did the front and middle of the palate. The back and
finish, however, made me second-guess the whole thing. I’ve had Tamdhu single
malts, and none had the medicinal Band-Aid
quality to them. I realize some folks enjoy that note; I can tolerate it and usually dismiss it, but not when it is so dominant. I went into this review
hoping I discovered another opportunity to #RespectTheBottomShelf,
but this wasn’t it. I simply cannot give anything but a Bust rating for it. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy to
Understand Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages
you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.
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