A small sack of grains


July 16, 2025

A small sack of grains

We do this from time to time, taste the few grains we've received over the past weeks or months. Note that we’ll be staying in Scotland and avoiding column-distilled malts, which because of that become grains up there. However, if you distil grains in a pot still, they still won’t count as single malts (ooh, S.). Let’s pick one at random...

Girvan 33 yo 1991/2024 (46.0%, Cadenhead, Original Collection, barrels)

Colour: light gold. Nose: light and pleasant, on corn syrup, sweetshop treats, vanilla and coconut liqueur. A little chamomile as well. Mouth: still light, sugary, all on sweets and more coconut. A kind of sugary English tea with a good deal too much sugar. Finish: medium in length, no particular development. Sweet and rather narrow. Comments: no wonder it’s not very ‘malty’ at all (I know what I'm tryng to say), and no matter how hard I try, I shall never truly manage to enjoy these ultra-light whiskies originally designed to tame malts and cut costs. Unless we stumble upon some stellar sherry casks, but we shall see…
SGP:630 - 78 points.

North British 32 yo 1991/2024 (46.6%, Whisky for Leiden, first fill bourbon, cask #264532, 185 bottles)

In theory, it was corn. Colour: white wine. Nose: I find this much better on the nose, it’s less sweet and more herbal, with a much more restrained coconut and vanilla combo, along with lovely green teas and a touch of blond tobacco. Very pleasant at this stage. Mouth: it really makes a difference on the palate, with admittedly some notes that are a little too sugary for me but also touches of gentian and wild carrot. In short, some rootiness, and that’s something we quite enjoy. Finish: it gets sweeter but remains fairly under control. One just shouldn’t linger too long on the finish, perhaps by quickly reaching for a wee glass of water. Comments: not bad at all, I think.
SGP:540 - 83 points.

Invergordon 18 yo 2006/2024 (62.3%, Wilson & Morgan, sherry, cask #446)

Let’s be honest, slipping an ex-sherry Invergordon into a grain line-up is almost unfair to the others. Colour: dark amber. Nose: immediately high-grade old bourbon territory, with varnish and wood glue, maple syrup, toffee, chocolate, chestnut cream and green walnut liqueur. With water: bouillons, cigars and leather! Mouth (neat): are we absolutely sure this isn’t Enmore in disguise? Though do mind the strength… With water: aggressive in a rather charming way, quickly turning ‘Japanese’, with umami, soy sauce and, to be honest, MSG. Frankly, it’s pretty extreme, but we’re not here to do embroidery (our warmest regards to embroiderers everywhere). Finish: varnish returns, alongside chestnuts and walnuts. Comments: top grain, and there really isn’t that much of it about, at least in my humble opinion. One barely even noticed that the aftertaste was actually a tad sugary.
SGP:661 - 88 points.

Butterscotch & Vanilla & Toast & a Generation 30 yo (40%, Atom Brands, blended grain, +/-2023)

Blimey, they really went for it! I shall taste this blended grain discreetly; I’d be far too worried someone might see me… Colour: light gold. Nose: well, blow me, it’s not bad at all, with touches of sesame, hay, white chocolate filled with grated coconut, and candy apples… Mouth: it’s light but not weak, featuring sweet herbal teas with rock sugar, still that white chocolate with coconut that might evoke childhood memories for some, roasted peanuts rolled in sugar… All rather pleasant. Finish: not long but as soft as a sunset over a Greek island (really?) A surprising little salty touch. Comments: charming and very understated, almost a no-lo whisky. Indeed, there are good ones!
SGP:330 - 84 points.

Since we're on the topic of blended grains…

Compass Box ‘Hedonism 2024’ (43%, Compass Box, blended grain, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 7746 bottles)

Big effort on the label, very ‘Gustav Klimt’, with a decent budget clearly devoted to the gilding. Colour: straw. Nose: I rather like this, with vegetable oils, leaves, soft little resins, even a faint smoky touch, and above all, mercifully little of that deafening vanilla and coconut duo. Doesn’t feel too weak at 43% vol. Mouth: well, it’s still grain, but it’s neither too hollow, nor too mute, nor overly sweet. A sort of popcorn-in-the-haybarn with a squeeze of lemon, if such a thing existed. Finish: a bit short, but the lemony side saves the day. Not bad. Comments: does the warbling live up to the plumage? Perhaps…
SGP:440 - 82 points.

Strathclyde 20 yo (52.9%, James Eadie, Distilleries of Great Britain & Ireland, 1st and 2nd fill marsala hogsheads, 364 bottles)

Unlike malt, grain is really all about the cask, end of debate… And we’re rather chuffed, turns out we were in Marsala barely a month ago, I may have told you before. Yes indeed, that’s Sicily, southwest coast. Colour: full gold. Nose: very smart indeed, the grain has drawn in the earthy fudgey tones of the marsala, even the faint fermentary edge and a whiff of fire-baked bread. With water: gentian! Where on earth did that come from? Mouth (neat): still recognisably grain, the texture remains a little soft, but there are unsweet raisins stepping in to lend a hand. With water: and boom, the gentian returns to the rescue, more discreetly than on the nose. Gentian cordial (do you know Suze?) Finish: medium in length but pleasant, thanks to its earthy, rooty profile. Comments: very fine grain, and a rather unusual one at that.
SGP:451 - 84 points.

Girvan 9 yo 2015/2024 (59.3%, Single Cask Nation, 1st fill bourbon hogshead finish, cask #193413, 280 bottles)

Great Scott, they dared bottle a 9-year-old Girvan! Either the windows at Single Cask Nation HQ were already spotless, or this is actually very good… Colour: light gold. Nose: I’d wager it’s the latter, peanut oil and sunflower oil, with this unexpectedly fatty side, plus faint puffs of ink and light herbal teas. With water: proper popcorn and vanilla cream, then most of all, metal polish and motor oil. Hurrah! Mouth (neat): highly entertaining, it rather feels like swallowing a mix of limoncello and nail varnish—not exactly recommended, mind you. With water: it gets even funnier, with some asparagus, soft soap, varnish and paraffin. Finish: gentler, but marked by almonds, pistachios, and still that vegetable oil. And hey, a bit of pear on the aftertaste. Comments: this is great fun while still managing to be a bit intellectual. Do remember, this is 9-year-old Girvan we’re talking about.
SGP:550 - 85 points.

Strathclyde 34 yo 1989/2023 (51.1%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, oloroso hogshead finish, 366 bottles)

Colour: amber. Nose: not bad, the sherry does its job, with roasted peanuts, turrón, praline, a pack of blond cigarettes, honey, glacé cherries and raisins. With water: pu-ehr tea, earthy and almost smoky, which is rather nice. Mouth (neat): chocolate, chicory, dried raisins, salted butter caramel. With water: it loses a bit of stamina here, a pity, perhaps best not to add water. Some coconut begins to show, and in this particular context and only in this context, coconut is the enemy IMHO. Finish: not very long but reasonably pleasant, except for the aftertaste which leans a little too far toward stale tea. As usual, it lacks just a touch of texture. Comments: started off very well. Save the water, it’s better, and together, we’ll save the planet.
SGP:550 - 80 points.

One last quick one, nicely done, hopefully…

Port Dundas 24 yo 1999/2024 (51.8%, Whisky Age, hogshead, cask #711825, 247 bottles)

Always those very handsome labels, perhaps just a little too handsome for plain old grain whisky. Alright then, I exaggerate. Colour: white wine. Nose: hold on, something’s gone terribly wrong, they must’ve blended mezcal and nail varnish and bottled the result. Glorious nose, but is this really mere grain whisky? I rather doubt it. That said, let’s not forget Port Dundas was the seminal grain distillery. With water: just glorious milk chocolate. Mouth (neat): crème brûlée and varnish, butter cream, orgeat, pistachio syrup, macadamia nuts… What sort of sorcery is this? With water: no, skip the water, it falls apart a little on the palate. Best forgotten… Finish: coffee storms in, mocha, all pairing beautifully with the crème brûlée. Comments: one might almost call this the perfect 5 o’clock whisky.
SGP:551 - 86 points.

Check the index of all grain whiskies we've tasted so far