I really wanted to like this. I like Lyre's american malt but I wanted something that was more authentic when taken neat. After reading the description, I thought this would be worth a try. I didn't listen to the reviews because I have seen very negative comments on spirits before and I usually like them. But this really is terrible. There is just no other way to say it.
On the nose it is noxious. It smells to me like melted plastic. Literally. I watered it down as suggested by the bottle and I even tried a big block of ice on an open glass. This helped to lessen the smell but it was still there when I held it up to drink. At first I could only taste melted plastic but adding water helped to bring out some smokey, caramel and chocolate notes, which was a pleasant surprise. But this is only brief, while the melted plastic taste was just overwhelming everything. This smell is taking the role of the alcohol smell and taste on a bad cask-strength whisky. And it lingers. I just can't express how bad this is. I don't understand how this could get past quality control; the smell at the distillery and bottling area would be incredible (unless it is something that develops in the bottle, I suppose). Whatever this is it does help carry the aroma and flavour that one would look for in a non-alcoholic spirit. I've got the glass sitting away from me and I can smell the caramel and chocolate notes. But as I bring it closer, the melted plastic smell just takes over and I have to force myself to take another sip. I really is bad. I'm afraid to try it as a mixer but for the sake of the review I did. I was going to make an old fashioned, but I don't think that would hide the plastic well enough. So I made a scotch sour and it was terrible. The melted plastic just took over and laid waste to every other flavour. It was almost as if I hadn't added anything else to it; yes I could taste the citrus, but I had to taste it through a lake of melted plastic.
Challenge to Glen Dochus Makers
I'm so sorry glen dochus, I really wanted to like you but you didn't take yourself seriously. I would challenge the owners to drink 45mL of this neat in one gulp without making a tortured face. The contents is just undrinkable.I can't believe that the have tasted it and know this is what it tastes like.
Is there anything good about it?
On a positive note, if they could try to hone in on what is giving it that awful smell and taste, they might be able tone it down a lot. The fact that I could taste some genuine scotch flavours underneath it all is actually encouraging and with a little bit of cleverness from their chemical engineers, this might actually be really good one day. Oh, and the mouth feel (ignoring the taste) is actually a little more viscous that other non-alcoholic spirits (that tend to feel quite watery), which was encouraging also.
