LBD Drookit Dug Batch 3
Blended Scotch Whisky | 45.2% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
A perfect and tasty accompaniment to any escape
Escapology - Gen X Style.
My wife and I set down roots in a neighborhood that turned out to be, generally, of the same age swath. You know . . . Gen Xers, old geezers.
In particular, the older slice of Gen X – born between 1965 and 1970. We were, perhaps, the last feral-raised generation here in the States. Day care? Ha! Parents shoved us out of the house with the admonition to be back by dinner time. No cell phones. No helicopter supervision. No tracking.
We hopped on bikes and explored anywhere and everywhere. We jumped, kicked, laughed, fought, bled, climbed, ran, built, played, and used our imaginations. And now, older age and retirement does not necessarily translate to being less feral. The energy, however, is fed differently and, to be honest, there are times when we simply enjoy being unplugged from electronics of all kinds, just like when we were kids.
We Gen Xers have found ways to continue shenanigans to channel the ways we were raised (or in which we raised ourselves). Social drinking, telling bad jokes, throwing parties for no other reason than to get together and holler, creating social clubs to go out exploring, turning game nights into parties; generally having fun for fun’s sake.
As part of these shenanigans, Mrs. Shaw has been a member of our community’s “bunko group”. The bunko group, with all due respect to my better half and her buddies, is a rowdy bunch of ladies who bring high energy (read here: volume + desire to drink + desire to let loose + desire to be irreverent . . . stir and enjoy). Without doubt the “high energy” peaks can be a bit overwhelming and daunting. To co-opt a phrase: those ladies go to eleven . . .
The meet-ups rotate among the eight ladies’ homes. The meet ups almost always include a pot-luck dinner with all sorts of fare coming to the table. Accompanying the food is plenty of drink, a healthy dose and level of music, and a lengthy gab session. After the gab session, the ladies have their game of bunko. This may wrap up the get-together, or it may (as it often does) revert to more gab, music, and/or drinking.
This past weekend the bunko group descended on the Shaw household. Mrs. Shaw was very excited for a rowdy bit of fun. I helped with getting the house squared away and made some pesto and fusilli as well as some cold sesame noodles for the ladies. (Carb heavy to absorb some of that liquid “energy”).
The first car came ten minutes early, and I could hear the turned-up Reba McIntyre tunes blaring from Bonnie’s Jeep. Yes, she is known for her very loud love of Reba. Big hugs when she walked in. From there, with each bunko member coming through the door, the decibels increased. Ultimately, Allie was the last to arrive. She came in bringing some appetizers on a large plate; a pot of chili, and two bottles of wine. You might wonder how she managed to bring all of that into the house with only two hands – but she had convinced her fiancée, Brad, that husbands would be at bunko this particular evening and he was carrying all but the wine.
Immediately upon entering the house, Brad did the scan of the room and clearly had a sinking feeling. You could see it written all over his face. He managed to see me in the kitchen over the eight energetic women carrying on. He tried to pull away from his to-be bride, but she had her left hand clamped on his wrist and, for whatever reason, she was determined to keep her man by her side. He had the look of a submerged soul looking for a way to the surface to grab a breath.
I called my wife over and asked her to distract Allie. Mrs. Shaw took a look, saw Brad, and immediately understood the task. We both donned our imaginary lifeguard garb and made our way across the living room through the gathering to Allie. Allie saw my wife and lunged at her to give a proper bunko hug and greeting. At that moment, I reached for Brad, grabbed his shoulder and pulled him out of the swirling eddy of ladies laughing and dancing.
He looked at me and gave a knowing and sincere nod of thanks. We made our way through the kitchen and slipped out to the garage. I grabbed two folding chairs we use at the beach, and set up shop on the driveway. Two inverted crates were used as mock tables. The weather was delightful – 65 degrees (18 Celsius) — not a cloud in a sky that revealed a canopy of stars.
We had the best seats in the house. I ducked back into the kitchen and grabbed plates of food. We were outside and unplugged. We turned off our cell phones and enjoyed not being tethered. We did need something for our empty glasses, however. Brad – knowing that there would be good whisky at the Shaw household – asked for a good bottle to decant as we sat, ate, and chatted.
Brad is one of the few around here that is whisky curious, and I knew the bottle to bring out to the driveway. And, glad to report, it did not disappoint.
Review
Little Brown Dog Drookit Dug, Batch 3, 9 year old, blended scotch whisky, 45.2% ABV
£35 paid at auction less fees and shipping, still some availability at retail at less than £50
As mentioned in my reviews of Living Souls 3 year old and the September outturn of Decadent Drinks, I have an ever-growing appreciation for blended Scotch whiskies. During my last auction foray last November, I saw this bottle among those that were overlooked. I picked this bottle up for only £35. Prior to the auction I read about Little Brown Dog, its releases, and how those releases were garnering ever-more acclaim and appreciation. And, so, we had a label I was eager to sample, and a blended Scotch whisky, to boot – all for under £40. It was an easy decision, and I was able to snipe it.
It remained unopened due to events associated with the wrap-up of my career as a litigator, some unforeseen bumps in the road, and then turning energies to other things. Only recently had I pulled this bottle from the cabinet and began enjoying my auction success. The neck pour gave some cautiously optimistic thoughts, but with time and air in the bottle, it has opened up.
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
A perfect and tasty accompaniment to any escape
Nose
White stone fruits. Pastry. Honey oat bread. There is a sweet malty waft that reminds me of my tasting at Deanston. Hint of orange/sweet citrus. Green peach matcha tea. Rich. Freshly made whipped cream. Buttered croissants.
Palate
A bit waxy and rich. The texture is full and layered. Apricot and peach tarts. Pastry notes all over the palate. The mid-palate brings with it a building spice; a ginger-type spice as opposed to pepper. It builds and stays in your cheeks through the sipping experience. Sugar cookie dough. Hint of banana? Cloves.
There is a slight sweet oatmeal note here that I would attribute to an old grain whisky. Lovely. The finish has a marmalade hint along with the buttered pastry and white stone fruit notes. This is rich and utterly enjoyable.
The Dregs
There is a quote on Little Brown Dog’s website regarding their blends that stood out, and encapsulated this Drookit Dug (roughly meaning “extremely wet dog”) for me rather well: “A whisky created for a Wednesday night when you want to share a bottle with your mates but still want to drink great whisky that you’ll all enjoy.” Spot on. This was the perfect bottle for my evening on the driveway. Having a really good whisky allowed for very good conversation, good laughs, and some good reflection.
Perhaps unfair to refer to Little Brown Dog as an independent bottler, as it is “an independent bottler and micro distillery”, as their website states. That said, speaking as to the IB side of the business, it is one of the newer ones on the whisky scene having started only in 2018. While other whisky distillers and IBs speak to historical pedigrees, and others speak to their technical expertise, I rather like the very plain and relatable statement Little Brown Dog proudly puts forth: “Our goal is simple, make the best tasty things.” Bingo.
That is exactly what I look for in a whisky – not provenance, not the popular buzz, nor any medals or awards from whisky shows and competitions. These guys have hit me right in the feels when it comes to what I look for in a whisky – I absolutely want the best tasty things.
This bottle gave absolute pleasure to sip and taste. It gave me a great platform from which I gave a mini-sermon to Brad about the wonders of blended Scotch whiskies. It is unpretentious, unassuming, under the radar, and simply and utterly tasty.
Having a really good blend that artfully combines solidly good single malt and solidly complimentary grain whisky is a treat. And yet, there is something that appears a contradiction – though I am not complaining about it.
After doing my tasting and nosing, as is my habit, I start researching the liquid that is in my glass. I have found that in my glass is roughly a decade-old very good single malt and some forty (40!) year old very good grain whisky. A really good and well-aged single malt, as well as a really good and well-aged single grain - each, separately, would fetch a rather high retail price. And yet, the cost of a bottle of blended whisky – using components of each of those – is almost always cheaper. In my glass, the whole is greater (and cheaper!) than the sum of its parts. I don’t understand it, but let me be clear – I am not complaining.
Here, this Drookit Dug 2.0 is, as I found, “a mixture of malt and grain, first and second fill bourbon and sherry casks.” Also, I found that this bottle is “a cask strength session dram, made using stock from casks with a lower ABV and blended without dilution meaning much more texture and complexity from a lower more approachable ABV.”
Ultimately, this bottle is classified as a nine year old whisky, as that is the youngest of the stock in the blend. As I sipped this initially, as noted above, the texture and richness of the dram was clear. Now, learning that this blend has not been diluted really puts things into perspective for me.
While the ladies spent hours with their amped up energies, Brad and I sat back enjoying each other’s company as we chewed the fat, all while being treated to a wonderfully comfortable whisky.
The trick for me in the whisky desert is to find some more of Little Brown Dog’s wares, and I look forward to the search. I urge you all to do the same as this bottle matches the very complimentary news I had heard about these folks up in Aberdeenshire. Well done, Little Brown Dog.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. OS
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