Whisky review: Hankey Bannister Original

Hankey Bannister is a blended Scotch whisky that prides itself on containing all five single malts from the Inver House portfolio: AnCnoc, Balblair, Balmenach, Old Pulteney, and Speyburn. The Hankey Bannister 40 has won a number of awards, and considering my affinity for the single malts in Inver House's portfolio, I was hoping to like the Hankey Bannister Original. And at only $17 a bottle, it's a relatively cheap experiment.

Let's see how it goes...

Hankey Bannister Original, 43% ABV

Blended Scotch whisky

Price range, 750 mL: $17-22

Nose: Very sweet. A bit like a sugar cookie. Earthier notes developing after a while.

Palate: Sweet but a bit rough. Just caramel through and through.

Finish: Caramel and some light wood. Leaves a woody taste after a minute or so.

Rating (of 100): 64. This is basically a bottle of alcoholic caramel flavoring. Not something I would purchase again, despite the low price tag. Kudos for bottling it at 43%, though - that's not too typical for an entry-level blend. Maybe they needed to add some alcohol to try to mask the caramel...