Whisky Focus - SIA Scotch Blended Whisky Review

SIA (pronounced "SEE-a" and meaning SIX in Gaelic) is a new Scotch blended whisky which was created by Scotch whisky enthusiast Carin Luna-Ostaseski.

Carin set out to create an approachable, refined blend that would appeal to a young modern audience. She wanted to create a whisky that was easy to enjoy, whether taken neat, with ice or in a long drink. She wanted to change the misconception many people have about whisky, such as "its too strong", "it burns", "its an old man's drink" and "its too expensive". Admittedly there are more than a few blended whiskies out there that that would prove all of these to be true but Carin was determined to create a whisky that would change this perception, a whisky anyone would enjoy.

Working in her own kitchen Carin experimented with whiskies that she enjoyed, blending them together in different ratios until she created some blends she enjoyed.

She tried out these early blends on both whisky enthusiasts and whisky virgins. She especially targeted people who had never tried Scotch whisky and even those who thought they didn't like whisky. She didn't host conventional tastings for those who already like Scotch, she targeted those who thought they didn't like Scotch whisky, hosting tastings in unconventional places, like fashion shows and fundraisers, her goal was to find the whisky blend that appealed to everyone.

Eventually Carin narrowed it down a blend that people enjoyed, even those who thought they didn't like whisky. With confidence in what she had created Carin invested her personal savings into the project but this didn't cover all the costs involved in bringing her creation to a wider audience. The remainder of the funding come from a website called kickstarter.com- a crowdfunding platform. The project was brought to life by friends and strangers from all over the world believing in a brand and contributing to make it a reality.

Carin found a partner, Lauren Shayne Mayer of Spirit Imports Inc. Lauren introduced her to a few possible distillers and she choose the Glasgow based family firm of Douglas Laing who created SIA based on the tried and tested blend which Carin had put so much work into.

What Douglas Laing has bottled for Carin is a premium Scotch blended whisky with a 40% malt whisky content and 60% grain whisky content. The malt whisky content is 50% Speyside, 40% Highland and 10% Islay whisky.

The quality of the whisky was recently recognised by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2014 when it was awarded a Double Gold. Presented in a very attractive feminine shaped bottle, SIA was bottled at a very respectable 43% ABV.

You will currently find SIA available from bars, restaurants and stores throughout California and areas of Illinois priced at $50.
 

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