Sheep Dip Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, 40%
To begin with, Sheep Dip is an insecticide/fungicide solution used to treat sheep. The Spencerfield Spirit company either does not have a large marketing budget, or the guy in charge of naming things has an impeccable sense of humour. The story is that farmers used to fool the excisemen by hiding whisky in barrels labelled as sheep dip, methinks this is fine as long as one did not forget which barrels were which. Although in all probability mistakes were bound to have occurred.
Sheep Dip Whisky is a blended malt (so no grain whisky) from 16 distilleries. The very first whiff will indicate that its profile is distinctly highlands, and upon further research, I did discover that these 16 distilleries are in fact highlanders and speysiders. My own suspicion is that it contains far more of the former than the latter.
Sheep Dip Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, 40%, circa 2010.
(Official picture)
Nose: Immediately highlands in style – zingy with very unripe green fruit, stones and gravel, cut hay, and lime pith. Just a step before diesel fumes. Also a tiny amount of crisp toffee shards, and the merest smidgen of butter – not rich at all. Not a complex or intense nose, smells like a highly diluted St.Magdalene, which means I like this.
Palette: Is as the nose suggests, lime zest, white spice, cut grass, a bit gassy even. Flinty and some spiritiness, and that’s it, the finish arrives. Actually I’m surprised the young spiritiness isn’t any more bold than what it is. Overall, simple but does what it says.
Finish: Arrives soon and doesn’t linger. Some flintiness.
Honestly, I like the taste profile, but falls flat on complexity and intensity, then again, what’s the point of shouting ‘more age!’ , ‘cask strength!’ at a cheap blend?
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I think Sheep Dip is a lovely malty blend.
Enjoyed it on my Galway Whiskey Trail adventure!
https://westmeathwhiskeyworld.wordpress.com/2016/01/20/garveys/
Slainte