Dewar’s Scotch Whisky launches Dewar’s Ilegal Smooth, an eight year-old double-aged Blended Scotch whisky, finished in Ilegal Mezcal casks.
The second in a new cask-finished series of whiskies, it’s a partnership with Ilegal, a leading artisanal mezcal in the US.
The release follows the successful debut of Dewar’s Caribbean Smooth last September and the ethos of bringing together an exciting blend of two different cultures, this time with Scotland and Mexico.
“Dewar’s is thrilled to launch this second in a series of double-aged cask finishes, which further pushes the boundaries of the whisky category in line with Dewar’s commitment to innovation” says Brian Cox, Vice President, Dewar’s, North America.
“We’ve been considering experimenting in the mezcal space for a while and are thrilled to partner with Ilegal for this exciting world first. It’s a fortuitous collaboration as there are many parallels between Tommy Dewar, one of the Dewar’s founders, and John Rexer, founder of Ilegal. They both have grit, wit and passion for creating something new on an ambitious scale – the very best ultra-premium, smooth spirits. Dewar’s Ilegal Smooth pays homage to both of their successful legacies by dispelling myths about what’s possible between whisky and mezcal and ultimately breaking new ground in both categories. The end product says it all,” added Cox.
“Many of the barrels utilized in aging mezcal are used whisky barrels. It’s a nice shift to have our used Ilegal Mezcal barrels crossing borders to age whisky in Scotland. The finished product is delicious” says Founder of Ilegal Mezcal, John Rexer.