Drink Review: Pig’s Nose

An easy drinking whisky from the folks behind Sheep Dip, allegedly named for being ‘as soft as a pig’s nose’. It’s a blend with a high malt content and a youthful, fruity edge.

Pigs Nose Review:

Pig’s Nose is the rather bloody-sounding name given to a blended Scotch whisky released by Laphroaig. Created by manager Billy Stitchell and owners John Campbell and Jock McLean, Pig’s Nose was a response to the surprising success of Sheep Dip, a whisky/soft drink hybrid launched by Jock and John’s McBrides Whiskey Pub company in the late 1980s. Pig’s Nose was born in 2000 after Jock and John joined forces with Billy to create a new blended Scotch to compete in the increasingly crowded marketplace. The name was supposedly chosen because the nose, like the stool of a pig, is easily punctured.

This is perhaps the only whisky you can drink while holding a large stick of candy floss!

Pigs Nose Blended Scotch Whisky is best enjoyed with a “touch” of soda water and a slice of lemon. The nose is mild and fruity with a little spice. The body is also fruity and quite gentle, with a hint of smoke that is more felt than tasted. There’s almost a creamy floral quality to it with a very faint hint of chocolate. The finish has only the slightest suggestion of smoke and is clean and crisp.

Pigs Nose Old Blended Scotch Whisky

Alc./Vol.: 40%

Laphroaig, whose distillery shares the same island as Lochindaal, created the Pig’s Nose brand.

Nose: Vanilla, burnt sugar, citrus, candy floss, pepper and gentle smoke.

Palate: Sweet honey, vanilla candy, citrus fruits, peat and a hint of white pepper.

Finish: Medium length with just the hint of smoke.

Pigs Nose is a wonderful after work dram and a perfect way to unwind after a hard days work. The only thing missing is a large bowl of ice-cream.

The recommended serve for this whisky is with some ice-cubes and some soda-water. I’m also going to use a slice of lemon. I’d like to try this next time with a slice or two of lime as well.

Pigs Nose Review:

The coloured and plastic bottled release is blended Scotch whisky with an ABV of 40%. The Old Release is an indeterminate age, and is aged in ex-bourbon casks. The whisky is made by two former Laphroaig managers, Billy Stitchell and Jock McLean. It is bottled at the Laphroaig distillery.

When I tried it the first time it was at O’Connors in New York’s East Village. I was enjoying a beer at the bar, and a friend bought me a little glass of this. It was a lovely Summer evening, and I love the quaintness of this bar. I was really impressed with this whisky. It was so fresh and pretty, and I just loved the little bit of funkiness which was detectable on the palate.

Pigs Nose Scotch Review:

Pig’s Nose is the rather bloody-sounding name given to a blended Scotch whisky released by Laphroaig. Created by manager Billy Stitchell and owners John Campbell and Jock McLean, Pig’s Nose was a response to the surprising success of Sheep Dip, a whisky/soft drink hybrid launched by Jock and John’s McBrides Whiskey Pub company in the late 1980s. Pig’s Nose was born in 2000 after Jock and John joined forces with Billy to create a new blended Scotch to compete in the increasingly crowded marketplace. The name was supposedly chosen because the nose, like the stool of a pig, is easily punctured.

This is perhaps the only whisky that you can drink while eating candy floss.

The recommended serve for this whisky is an ice cube or two, with a splash of soda water and a slice of lemon. I have tried it with a slice of lime as well and think it works well.

This is a very nice Scotch, a great alternative to an Islay, with the same sort of coastal flavour.

This is one of my favourite “everyday” whiskies. It’s inexpensive, widely available, has a solid flavour profile that doesn’t get in your way, and has a distinctive character of its own. I always have at least 1 bottle on-hand.