Over the brand’s expansive 174-year-long history, Dewar’s has become the world’s most awarded blended Scotch whisky, with over 500 medals to its name. While still deeply rooted in tradition, the company nonetheless experiments with producing different varieties of Scotch using different cask finishes. Previously, the Scottish outfit has offered versions of its amber elixir finished in (Pedro Ximenez) sherry casks, Caribbean rum casks, and charred and scratched American oak casks, though Dewar’s has now unveiled its latest experimental offering with the new “Illegal Smooth” blend, a Dewar’s eight-year double-aged blended Scotch whisky that’s been finished in Mezcal casks.
To deliver this multinational water of life, Dewar’s joined forces with noted artisanal mezcal outfit, Illegal Mezcal, which agreed to supply a handful of its ex-mezcal casks from its facility in the Santiago Matatlan Valley of Oaxaca for the endeavor. The extended aging in these ex-agave cells affords the Scotch a unique flavor profile, reportedly boasting notes of fresh green pepper, various herbs, caramel, and just a hint of smoke. Dewar’s X Illegal Mezcal’s Illegal Smooth Scotch Whisky is expected to hit store shelves in April 2020, with pricing set for the 750ml bottle at $22.
