Famous Grouse Smoky Black Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%

Glenturret is the oldest working distillery in Scotland, and it almost never makes peated whisky. Almost. The handful of casks that do get made end up here, and that is the entire reason Smoky Black tastes the way it does.

The expert description

Famous Grouse Smoky Black is a Blended Scotch Whisky made with peated malt, matured in oak casks and bottled at 40%.

The blend launched in 2015 as the successor to The Black Grouse and is built around a rare peated expression of Glenturret. This is not an Islay whisky poured into a blend. It is malt from a Highland distillery that carries its peat smoke from home, and it gives a different kind of smoke: drier, more bonfire-like and less medicinal than the west coast style.

Beneath the smoke sits the classic Grouse profile of honey and fruit, bound together with grain whisky. The master blenders select both malt and grain casks with enough character to carry the smoke rather than vanish behind it. The brand has been owned by William Grant & Sons since July 2025.

Tasting notes

Nose

Bonfire smoke and dry ash come through first, but honey, dried fruit and a note of toasted malt sit behind them.

Palate

Sweetness and smoke in the same mouthful. Vanilla and pale caramel carry it while the peat builds and lays dark chocolate and soot over the top.

Finish

Medium, dry and sooty with a final touch of pepper.

Specifications

Name: Famous Grouse Smoky Black
Distillery: The Famous Grouse
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Edition: Smoky Black
EAN no.: 5010314302504

Flavour profile

Smoky · Sweet · Soft · Malty · Peaty

Did you know?

Glenturret has been distilling since 1763, making it the oldest continuously working distillery in Scotland. For decades it also housed The Famous Grouse Experience, where visitors walked through the story behind the blend, and where many discovered for the first time that there was a distillery behind the bird on the label at all.

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Frequently asked questions about Famous Grouse Smoky Black

How smoky is Smoky Black?

Clearly, but restrained. The smoke is dry and bonfire-like rather than tarry, and it frames the honey and fruit instead of drowning them. For smoke at full volume you need to head west to our Islay Whisky.

What makes Smoky Black different from other peated blends?

Glenturret. The blend is built around a rare peated expression of that malt, which gives a drier Highland smoke instead of the iodine-led maritime style most peated blends draw from Islay.

Was it not called Black Grouse before?

It was. The release launched as The Black Grouse and in 2015 was given a new name, new packaging and an adjusted recipe. The style is the same, but the smoke has been brought further forward.

What can you use it for?

It is good neat, but it really comes into its own in drinks where the smoke has a part to play. Try it in a Penicillin or a simple highball with ginger ale, where the sweetness in the blend gets something to push against.

Is it a good place to start with peated whisky?

Yes. It is milder than an Islay malt, the sweetness makes it friendly, and you get a clear sense of what peat smoke does to a whisky without being thrown in at the deep end.

Where does the smoke come from?

From peat burned while drying the barley. The smoke settles into the grain and stays there all the way through production, so the flavour is present without anything having been added afterwards.

Which glass suits it best?

A tulip-shaped glass holds the smoke and lets the sweetness come through underneath. For a highball a tall glass obviously works better. See our whisky glasses.