Whisky Review: Cutty Sark Blended Scotch Whisky

We’re wrapping up our exploration of mid-century whiskey with a fitting end: Cutty Sark Blended Scotch. With a storied past (created by one of the most renowned wine and spirits merchants and named for one of the most famous merchant ships in history), Cutty Sark boasts a certain pedigree many blended scotches don’t. But is it all brand and no substance? We’re diving into a bottle to find out.


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History

Founded in 1698 by the Widow Bourne, Berry Bros. & Rudd is a family run wine and spirits merchant based in London. The company originally started as a merchant selling coffee, but quickly expanded into tea, snuff, and other spices which propelled them into being known as a premiere luxury goods merchant.

Blending scotch whisky has been a common practice for centuries among Scottish wine merchants, purchasing stock from different distilleries and creating a custom blend that they would then sell under their own brand. In 1923, Berry Bros. & Rudd decided to get in on the game and launched a brand of blended Scottish whisky they called “Cutty Sark.”

The name of the brand comes from a merchant sailing ship named Cutty Sark which was built in 1869 and operated in the tea trade (where Berry Bros. & Rudd made their fortune), as well as transporting goods from Australia back to England. In it’s day, the ship was the fastest in the world — a short lived title that quickly disappeared with the appearance of steamer ships. A drawing of the ship in full sail (created by Sweedish artist Carl Georg August Wallin) has appeared on the whiskey label since 1955.

Berry Bros. & Rudd remains internationally renowned as wine merchants, but no longer own the Cutty Sark brand. The brand was sold to the Scottish-based Edrington Group in 2010, who were themselves acquired by the French distilled spirits company La Martiniquaise-Bardinet in 2018.

Product

There’s not a whole lot of information about the source of this whisky, which is common for blended scotch such as this.

As a scotch whisky, we know 100% of this product was distilled in Scotland and matured on-site for no less than three years. That said, which specific distilleries used is not disclosed, so we don’t know the exact provenance of the spirit. According to a 2018 article, the Edrington Group was going to continue to provide support for the actual production and blending of the product during a “transition period” but there’s no indication of whether that has passed.

Packaging

Overall, the bottle is a pretty standard and old fashioned design, which makes sense considering it’s history. They’re counting on that brand recognition and long history to bring in the customers, so changing the design drastically would be detrimental to their goals. What’s interesting is that the neck of the bottle is rather short and stout, a departure from the usual slender liquor bottle necks and making it slightly less comfortable to pour.

The glass itself is a dark green color, which stands out on the shelf but is a bit unfortunate for those looking to see the whiskey inside. Also obscuring our view is the massive yellow label plastered across the front with the Cutty Sark image on it. I’m not knocking that specific aspect because I think the artwork is pretty neat, but it doesn’t help the transparency issue.

The whole thing is capped with a metal screw-on cap.


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Neat

The first thing you’ll notice is that the whiskey is remarkably light in color, like a bale of freshly cut hay. It’s even lighter than other common blended scotch whiskies, which are usually light themselves.

Coming off the glass are a lot of light and fruity aromas, alongside orange and lemon zest notes with a bit of smokey peat blended in. Unfortunately, that doesn’t last very long if you leave the whiskey in the glass, and eventually all you have left is closer to just plain alcohol.

Taking a sip, it’s like a penicillin cocktail right out of the bottle. There are some sweet honey flavors and a citrus lemon zest that, combined, taste delicious. There’s also a touch of that smokey flavor that you’d expect from a scotch adding some depth, but it’s subtle enough that it doesn’t particularly stick out or detract from the other flavors.

On Ice

Normally, the addition of ice causes the more delicate flavors to drop out of the race. In this case, unfortunately, it’s no different.

The honey flavor is almost completely gone, and so is the lemon zest. Really, all that’s left is a bit of smoke and alcohol, which isn’t nearly as enjoyable as drinking this neat. Recalling the outstanding flavors in this spirit from the neat version just makes this take even sadder.

Overall

The marketing on this whiskey says that it was “born to mix” and I disagree with that. Unless all you need is alcohol content and a bit of smoke, you don’t really get any flavors coming through when its diluted or with added ice. Instead, this seems to be best served neat, where it’s a delicious blend all on its own.

Cutty Sark Blended Scotch Whisky
Production Location: Scotland
Classification: Blended Scotch Whiskey
Aging: No Age Statement (NAS)
Proof: 40% ABV
Price: $16.99 / 750 ml
Product Website: Product Website
Overall Rating:
All reviews are evaluated within the context of their specific spirit classification as specified above. Click here to check out similar spirits we have reviewed.

Overall Rating: 4/5
A little ice usually isn’t a big issue, but here it’s an iceberg that sank the fifth star.


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9 comments

  1. I want to comment because I really like this scotch whiskey “Cutty Sark” I enjoy scotch whiskey. I don’t like Bourbon whiskey. I have tried expensive single malts and blended scotch. I didn’t find a taste difference that made me want to pay the much higher price for most single malts. I like scotch neat, sometimes with a cube or two of ice. I don’t think Scotch is a whiskey to be mixed. I’m saying all that to say this. Cutty Sark neat is smooth to the taste, it has a light aroma and a mild aftertaste that lets you know you had a drink. I also like Teachers, White Horse and Passport. All of these have a sharper and smooth taste and aftertaste, Cutty Sark is smoother in taste and aftertaste than all these. Just comments from someone who don’t know how to talk about a nutty, fruity, smokey, zesty taste. I love it and will keep buying this brand. I’ll continue to buy the others mentioned.

    1. I agree wholeheartedly with you. Don’t ruin it with mixers! It’s so smooth and relaxing when enjoyed neat. I’m not ashamed that it’s very affordable. I do like expensive smokey scotches, but I save them for special occasions. This is my go to, sit down and enjoy the day scotch!!! Thanks for your encouraging words👍🏼🥃

  2. Used to get a delicate caramel smell and taste but they have obviously changed the formula because that is gone to be replaced by the experience one would expect with other bottom shelf scotch where this one now belongs. I’m searching for a blend to replace this.

  3. I think you hit the nail on the head. I used to drink Cutty as tolerable low priced Scotch to be drank on the rocks while watching TV. I found some Glencairn glasses in a thrift store, washed them and wanted to try them out. All I had was Cutty so I poured myself a dram. I was surprised how good it tasted, with lots of subtle flavoring. Far better than I would expect for the price. I agree that it is best neat. Even a splash of water is detrimental. That is the way I drink it now, neat in a Glencairn glass. It is not so good that I’m going to pour my single malts down the drain, but it is a very enjoyable dram for not much money. I still drink it on the rocks now and then and is is, as you say, unremarkable that way but not objectionable. I can buy it right now for $11.49 a liter in a local liquor store, so I don’t worry about it that much.

  4. I’d like to add that I did do a comparison of Cutty Sark and Chivas Regal and I disagree with you ranking of Chevas below Cutty. It was very clear in comparison that the Scotches that were blended in the Chevas where much more mature and smooth. I also found the flavor to be more complex. I liked it better on both counts. I also felt the grain alcohol was a tiny bit better, but it was very close. Not enough to sway me one way or another. Of course there is a big difference in price, but I still think the Chevas is worth the extra cash. That won’t stop me from drinking Cutty!

  5. The American poet Hart Crane drank Cutty Sark—it is mentioned in his letters. Of course, Crane being a raging alcoholic, like most American writers in the Twenties, would have drunk anything. But he also titled a section of his long poem, “The Bridge,” after this whiskey: “Cutty Sark.” Though no scholar mentions it, I do believe it was in hommage to his favorite whiskey. And that’s enough for me.

  6. This is the worst scotch I ever tasted. Even the bartender said “Really?” when I asked to try it. I don’t see what everyone else sees with this whiskey….and it certainly is not better than Chivas!

    1. Maybe FL Man, that’s because many haven’t tried really good Scotch!
      I never did favor Cutty Sark as one of my Scotch selections, I just don’t like it. Look, it doesn’t matter what it cost or what it is, if you like it, you like it, period. That goes for whiskeys, bourbons, wines, beers or cigars. My absolute favorite Scotch is Johnny Walker Blue Label. But at $190 a bottle, its my special occasion scotch. A close one to that which is about $60 a bottle, is Chivas 18. My litmus test is trying anything neat. If it burns or just taste bad to me I toss it. You can add ice to try and recover from the harshness or bring out the bouquet, but if it doesn’t pass my test of smoothness, smell and taste profile,

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