馳名雪雞 Famous Snow Grouse

 

Please scroll down to the bottom for English version of tasting note. Thank you.

繼前文黑雞之後，現在到雪雞，這當然不是超市凍肉店賣的冷藏雪雞，我要介紹的，同是 Famous Grouse 的 Snow Grourse。

這雪雞比較特別，是調合穀物威士忌，即是沒有麥芽原酒成份，純粹的穀物威士忌。穀物威士忌的原材料，可以是任何的穀物，一般是粟米(玉米)，大麥小麥和麥芽都會有的，很多時也會是多種穀物調合的。此外，穀物威士忌一般由連續式蒸餾器生產的，生產成本會較麥芽威士忌低。如各位讀者有興趣的話，可參閱"單一穀物威士忌“一文。

Snow Grouse 是繼 Black Grouse 於 2007 年推出後，緊接於 2008 年推出市場的。穀物威士忌很少見於大眾消費市場，Snow Grouse 算是一個異數。很正常來說，穀物威士忌的生產成本會比調合威士忌低，雖則一般的消費市場飲家未必會留意及研究威士忌的原材料，但一般的穀物威士忌喝起來實在是不像"正常"的威士忌，消費者很難會接受，否則你認為酒商還不主力推穀物威士忌麼？

酒廠推這雪雞，也是有點特別，真正"懂"得品嚐威士忌的飲家，都會知道低溫會封鎖香氣，但最正的就是酒廠建議飲家先行將雪雞冷藏，成為名乎其實的雪雞，直接從雪櫃(冰箱)中取出飲用。看見雪雞清澈幾近透明的酒色，又要雪凍來喝，這….不就是喝伏特加 Vodka 一樣嗎？的確，除了當作伏特加飲用之外，雪雞的另外一個用途是用來調雞尾酒的。

我是要分析酒款的本身風味，還是室溫純飲吧。

Snow Grouse, Blended Grain, 700 ml, 40%

氣味: 蜜糖，穀物，麵包，酵母，香草
口味: 甜玉米，白麵包，香草，木質
餘蘊: 短，木質，香草，胡椒
結論: 氣味上是及格的，就像是全穀物早餐，晨早空氣清新開朗。酒體輕淡，簡單平面，餘蘊也是如此。這款酒無論氣味及口味都表明是穀物蒸餾酒，有點將調了味的伏特加，除了氣味還可以外，其他方面都不討喜，用來加冰調酒吧，抿抿水水之作。

 

English Version of Tasting Notes

Snow Grouse was released in 2008 following the launched of Black Grouse. Snow Grouse is somehow special in the market. It is a blended grain whisky. Malt whisky is made from the single ingredients malt while grain whisky can be made from any grains such as corn (mainly), wheat, ryn, barley or their mixing. Grain whisky is normally produced by continuous still with lower production costs in comparing  to its counterpart malt whisky.

Pure grain whisky is uncommon in consumer market. Though general consumers may not be well aware of the raw materials for whisky, grain whisky however tastes unlikely a “normal" whisky. Most consumers will not approve such a light and characterless spirit as a whisky and therefore the promotion of Snow Grouse is quite interesting – drink REAL SNOW Grouse, freeze the whole bottle in freezer before serving as if vodka. Snow Grouse shares some common characteristics with vodka, serving frozen and recommend for cocktail.

I tasted this Snow Grouse at room tempeture.

Snow Grouse, 700 ml, 40%

Nose: Honey, cereal, plain bread, yeast, vanilla.
Palate: sweet corn, plain bread, vanilla, woody.
Aftertaste: Short, woody, vanilla, pepper.
Overall comment: OK nosing, sound like full cereal breakfast, what a refreshing morning. Light body, simple, flat, so as to aftertaste. This dram explicitly tells its identity of grain spirit, and tasted like favored vodka. This Snow Grouse, except for the OK nosing, isn’t any good, supposedly for cocktail。