The newest whisky release in the Dewar’s portfolio is a major benchmark in the world of Scotch whisky and one of the most interesting blended whiskies generally that you’ll be able to drink this year. Dewar’s Ilegal Smooth (so named for the Ilegal mezcal brand that supplied the barrels) is a super-affordable novelty whisky with a lot of potential applications. In other words, it’s just what the whisk(e)y world needs right now.
The Dewar’s Smooth line actually debuted last year with a Caribbean version finished in rum casks. This bottle of Dewar’s, however, is significant to Scotch whisky in particular because it’s one of the first “non-traditional” finishes available to the world at large—in part simply because it’s an under-$25 option that you won’t have to bribe a…