The Monarch is made for those who have grown up with Dewar’s whiskies and are now looking for something to further mature their palates into.
The oldest blender of scotch whisky in the world – and which today continues to stock for the royal household of the Queen – Dewar’s, has never been afraid to cater to a variety of tastes from the mass with its 12 years, mid with its 13 years, to the ultra premium with its 25 years.
The best gauge of a blender’s signature is perhaps most accurately done with its house icon. In Dewar’s case, its 15 year old expression, otherwise also known as The Monarch, is said flagbearer and it is one founder John Dewar himself would have been proud of.
Its moniker is an effort on the master distiller’s part to set this particular expression apart from its mid-market offerings.
The Monarch is made for those who have grown up with Dewar’s whiskies and are now looking for something to further mature their palates into. This limited release is a product of up to 40 different whiskies, aged in either ex-bourbon or ex-sherry casks before being amagalmated oak casks.
The result is an easy-sipping whisky both neat and with water or ice. Its versatility also makes it a perennial favourite among mixologists as the base for Scotch-based cocktails from the classic to the contemporary.
First pour
Fresh from the bottle, it pours as a beautiful light, muddy copper colour. In the right light, it catches certain highlights of white, indicative of its oily body that coats the mouth in syrupy notes of rich fruit, honey and summer florals – perfect for Malaysia’s humid weather.
In the mouth, it is deliciously creamy and smooth, delivering its best notes from mid-palate to the back. Subtle. Light. Easy. These are the words that come first and foremost to the mind.
It opens strongest with nuances of coconut and light vanilla before melding into a soft warming of toffee, honey and ripened fruits. If you thought that was robust flavour profile, it gets better with a splash of water.
Second pour
The 15 year old does the seemingly contradictory by getting more complex yet lighter and easier to drink with a little water.
It retains all its summer-whisky inclination of smooth and delicate florals but gets tinged with a veil of smokiness amidst the subtlety. Here is an exquisitely scented, smooth and well-rounded whisky that will leave long-time Dewar’s fans well satisfied with a long, warming finish of Dewar’s signature spice.
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