Dewar’s 15 Year Old “The Monarch” Scotch

Mar 7

Dewars 15 Year Old “The Monarch” was the first Dewar’s blend I ever tasted. It might’ve been the first Scotch blend I tasted other than Johnnie Walker, to be honest. Sitting on the shelf in a textured gold box, I’ll admit my eyes got the better of me when deciding which bottle to get. Then again, I can’t feel too bad about it - this is a delicious blend.

I’ve tasted this many times - hell, I’ve gone through two bottles at my home - but today I’m re-tasting it in honor of Master Blender Stephanie Macleod and International Women’s Day (March 8th). One day is far too little to recognize all the incredible women involved in distilling and whiskey, so we’re celebrating an entire week. Still not quite enough, but it’s a start!

Women have been the heart of distilling (and brewing before that) since the beginning of both - literally! The first known distiller was Maria Hebraea (Maria the Jewess, in Latin), an alchemist living in Alexandria, Egypt, sometime in the 1st-3rd centuries CE. Besides having designed the first Alembic still, Maria also created something bakers worldwide will be familiar with - the Bain-Marie.

Back to Dewar’s and Stephanie Macleod. Macleod has been the Master Blender at Dewar’s (owned by Bacardi) since 2006. She created the 15-year-old blend originally for the Chinese market, but it has since become a staple across the globe. In the 15 years since, though, Stephanie has done everything but stop:

In 2020, she became the first woman to win Whisky of the Year at The International Whisky Competition®
At the same competition in 2019, she was the first woman to win Blender of the Year; in 2020, she won it again
Her newest releases - the Double Double series - have been winning near-universal acclaim
Experimented with the Dewar’s Smooth line, with more to come.

One thing is for sure: Stephanie Macleod is at the forefront of the modern whisky scene. The fact that she is a woman is both noteworthy and, hopefully, meaningless - or at least something that becomes less noteworthy as time goes on and women become more and more recognized for their rightful place in the whisky world.

Dewar’s 15 Year Old “The Monarch”: Specs

Classification: Blended Scotch Whisky

Origin: Dewar’s

Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 15 Year Old

Location: Scotland

Dewar’s 15 Year Old Price: $43

Official Website

Dewar’s 15 Year Old “The monarch” Scotch Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Golden honey, liquid sunshine. Thin rims slowly dissipate and bleed droplet legs.

Nose: Fruity - walking in an orchard in spring and summer. Meyer lemon and apple tarts. Hints of smoked fruitwood. Not overly sweet, even with all the fruit. Honey syrup warming in the pan.

Palate: Golden apples and fresh simmering applesauce. No proof, but enough oak to give an interesting drying note. Slightly tingly, really a pleasant pour. Apples and more apples - dusting of mulled spices verging on cider without being too sharp. Mouthfeel is light-to-medium bodied, coating and oily, and just a bit oaky.

Finish: Smoked applewood, dry oak, leather, cinnamon applesauce, and medium-to-long length. The apple cider sharpens to a peak before mellowing out.

Overall: Fresh, summery, and bright - a wonderfully drinkable blend that manages to pack a tremendous amount of spring and summer flavor into a pour that isn’t too heavy or concentrated. Excellent craftsmanship.

Final Rating: 7.5

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)