An avalanche of North British and other grain whiskies, Part 1


August 4, 2026

No grain, no gain:
an avalanche of North British and other grain whiskies, Part 1

North British

North British Distillery (North British)

Quite a few years ago, we were rather having the impression that many single grains were being bottled chiefly because that highly marketable little word ‘single’ might tempt enthusiasts. At times it all felt a little borderline, at least to my humble mind. Over the past few years, however, things have improved markedly, perhaps thanks to a broader selection of well-aged casks becoming available. In short, the grain whiskies now reaching the market seem rather less ‘empty’ than they once did, unless, of course, I am simply growing softer with age… Anyway, let us dive in at random…

Strathclyde 12 yo 2013/2025 (43.5%, Jean Boyer, Gifted Stills of Scotland, small batch, 1st fill St Estèphe, 2153 bottles)

Saint-Estèphe is a fairly powerful Bordeaux wine, situated in the northern part of the Médoc, so we may expect, for instance, deep cassis. Colour: gold, with no reddish trace whatsoever. Nose: we do indeed find the cabernet very close at hand, with green pepper, vine leaf and fig leaf, alongside a few earthy touches that are not at all unpleasant. The wine almost invades the little grain whisky, yet the balance has somehow been preserved, and therefore it remains interesting. A pleasant peppery note as well. Mouth: it is truly very marked by the wine, yet with a successful balance. The combination is unexpected, but it works, almost creating a kind of spirit reminiscent of tequila, with that vegetal, slightly earthy profile intertwined with cassis and spice. Finish: good length, fairly earthy and quite spicy, with blackcurrant in the background. Comments: a lovely surprise, I must admit, I was not expecting this at all.
SGP: 551 - 84 points.

North British 30 yo 1995/2026 (41.6%, Lady of the Glen, refill bourbon barrel, cask #55185, 216 bottles)

There seems to be an awful lot of North British about at the moment, both youthful expressions and rather older ones such as this. North British, as you know, is a joint venture between Diageo and Edrington. Its production capacity stands at 2.5 billion (no typo) litres of pure alcohol per year. In short, this is no Daftmill… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: gentle little touches of camomile, coconut milk, dulce de leche, blancmange, corn syrup and white chocolate. In short, it whispers, but it whispers rather beautifully, with admirable delicacy. Mouth: it settles itself very nicely indeed, the alcohol making itself just slightly felt despite the modest strength, yet this remains comfortably superior to the vast majority of grain whiskies we have tasted. Very much on herbal infusions, with white chocolate returning alongside a few hints of bison grass vodka. Finish: short, still focused on the herbal infusions… after a second sip. Comments: a thoroughly charming old grain, all about delicacy, elegance and effortless lightness…
SGP:441 - 82 points.

There are some genuinely ancient ones among them…

North British 43 yo 1982/2025 (52.6%, Milroy’s of Soho, Vintage Reserve, 2nd fill hogshead)

Remember, North British is made entirely from maize. Colour: full gold. Nose: fairly taut, with lemon meringue pie to the fore, alongside caramel-coated popcorn. Very lovely indeed. With water: a very faint touch of rubber. Mouth (neat): nicely lemony once again, in short, it is still all about lemon pie. The texture remains light, though rather less frustrating than in many grain whiskies, no doubt thanks to the age. Lovely notes of rhubarb and vanilla cream emerge as well. With water: coconut comes through. Finish: respectably long, though still very gentle. The lemon lends it a welcome little burst of energy all the same. Comments: grain whiskies are almost always a touch frustrating for malt lovers, especially on the palate, yet this baby has acquitted itself rather well. Forty-three years old, after all…
SGP:341 - 83 points.

North British 34 yo 1991/2025 (40.1%, Thompson Bros. for The Whisky Exchange)

At this strength it ought to be whispering ever so softly but let us see what secrets it has been keeping… Colour: pale gold. Nose: apple juice, vanilla milk, white nougat and popcorn. The fact is, there is not a single false note here and, above all, no overbearing coconut. That is so often what rather spoils grain whisky, at least to my humble mind. Mouth: we are very close to the 1982, only with just a little more punch. We did say just a little. Herbal infusions, coconut, vanilla, muffins and scones, then a little diluted orange juice. Finish: not especially long, but elegant. A few jellybeans and a coconut that knows its place. Comments: very likeable indeed, and not quite as fragile as we might have expected.
SGP:431 - 83 points.

Port Dundas 35 yo (50.5%, Living Souls, refill bourbon barrel, 2025)

Port Dundas was closed by Diageo in 2011 in favour of Cameronbridge. And yet, Port Dundas was where D.C.L. originally began. Colour: light gold. Nose: a lovely little oily side, with sunflower oil, beeswax and a few touches of rosehip infusion. With water: pine nuts and still plenty of oil, perhaps rapeseed this time? Mouth (neat): ah, this is very pleasant, richer and more energetic than the North Britishs, showing little cider apples and angelica. With water: a few hints of malt whisky, just imagine that! A faint touch of rubber. Finish: fairly long, with a pleasing texture, staying on oils and ripe apples. Comments: a very good old grain whisky, with a few knowing nods towards malt.
SGP:541 - 85 points.

Well, let us be honest, unless we stumble upon very old grain whisky from an exceptional sherry cask, as with certain Invergordons, it is probably going to be rather difficult to stray outside the 78 to 85-point corridor. Still, let us keep trying…

North British 32 yo 1993/2025 (52.2%, Corman Collins, Taste Still, 1st fill PX, cask #49576)

The second name here is ‘I Will Always Love You’, a declaration that goes straight to our hearts. Colour: red amber. Nose: plenty of cherries in eau-de-vie, liquid caramel, dark turrón and toffee. Well, you get the picture. With water: gentle pipe tobacco, alongside roasted hazelnuts and peanuts. Mouth (neat): very good indeed, somewhere between an old Cuban rum and a liqueur made from fir and coconut, if such a thing were ever to exist. With water: it comes surprisingly close to an Irish pure pot still, while also recalling a fine café latte. Finish: fairly long, now becoming decidedly macchiato-like. Comments: I must admit I find this really rather excellent. And it seems we have finally broken the curse.
SGP:641 - 86 points.

Well, much as the dreadfully lazy assertion that ‘in whisky, the cask does everything’ tends to irritate us, I must admit that in the rather particular case of grain whisky, it may actually be true…

Cambus 35 yo 1990/2025 (48.2%, Fadandel, refill hogshead, cask #93601, 217 bottles)

Colour: white wine, remarkably pale for a 35-year-old. Nose: a family-sized bar of white chocolate studded with desiccated coconut, followed by vanilla cream, chestnut purée and barley syrup. Hang on, could there actually be some barley in this one? Mouth: the very epitome of grain whisky, with a light texture yet an appealing combination of sweetcorn cream, coconut milk and vanilla that works rather well. Finish: fairly short, though with lovely notes of Wulong tea. That will be the oak speaking. Comments: If you ever have the chance to visit Cambus Cooperage, it is well worth the trip!
SGP:551 - 84 points.

So far, it would appear that we are remaining firmly in top-grain territory…

Dumbarton 23 yo 2000/2024 (57.1%, Dràm Mor, refill bourbon barrel, cask #211885, 182 bottles)

Dumbarton was closed and almost entirely demolished in 2002, so we are dealing here with one of the very last vintages. Is that not rather moving? Colour: pale gold. Nose: dried flowers, a touch of rubber, little notes of caraway, green pear and pine needles. This is fairly unusual and rather attractive so far. With water: peach syrup. Mouth (neat): most amusing, with limoncello and tutti-frutti eau-de-vie, displaying a fine sense of vigour. Lemon vodka. With water: very little change, still that lemon vodka, rather in the Polish style. Finish: not especially long, though pleasantly fresh and lemony, really quite agreeable. Comments: a very good Dumbarton, but as they say in Sutherland, it is still no Brora.
SGP:451 - 81 points.

North British 33 yo 1991/2025 (43.1%, Morisco Spirits, Wunderkammer, refill bourbon barrel, cask #204407, 160 bottles)

Wonderful label, as always. And love, love, love the cabinets of curiosities, let us see whether we have a worthy new member here… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: yep. Fats and oils, with no obvious clue as to where they come from, yet it works perfectly. Roasted pumpkin seeds, sesame and rye bread… All things that, in theory, have very little to do with grain whisky. Mouth (neat): we plunge straight into the earth and every seed under the sun. That said, the structure remains a little fragile and reminds us that this is, after all, grain whisky. Lovely brut cider, nonetheless. Finish: an earthy edge adds welcome dimension, and we rather like that. The cold café latte in the aftertaste is not bad either. Comments: another very fine grain whisky.
SGP:451 - 85 points.

Strathclyde 31 yo 1993/2025 (54.6%, Lady of the Glen, The Ghosts of Dumbarton Castle, refill oloroso hogshead, cask # 243367, 145 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: lovely floral notes of lavender, violets and pansies, alongside plum eau-de-vie and damsons. The damsons are especially prominent here. With water: as so often, the rubber decides to make an appearance. Barbour grease. Mouth (neat): rich and almost thick, this is nearly malt whisky, lemony, with plenty of hops and green apples. With water: a faint dustiness emerges, but all remains perfectly in order. Finish: not quite its strongest point, as it loses a little definition, though it remains perfectly respectable. A little lavender returns in the aftertaste. Comments: still a thoroughly charming grain whisky, without a doubt.
SGP:441 - 82 points.

Carsebridge 25 yo 1979/2005 (56.4%, Duncan Taylor, Cask #32901)

Let us admit it, we have already tasted this baby, but that was back in 2005 and we absolutely a-do-red it. So, more than twenty years later, let us see whether it can single-handedly lift the standard of this modest little session… Colour: pale gold. Nose: wonderfully lively, taut and lemony, going all in on verbena and limoncello. I rather suspect it was this razor-sharp simplicity that we had fallen for back then. We are simple folk at Whiskyfun, you see. A few touches of coconut, almost inevitable. With water: geranium, fig leaf and cherry tomatoes. Mouth (neat): above all, remarkably creamy for a grain whisky. We shall mention limoncello for the umpteenth time, then citron liqueur and lime. All this is bordering on the miraculous for grain whisky. With water: I can only confirm it, though do avoid adding too much water, as with so many grain whiskies it can collapse rather suddenly. Finish: not especially long, though no grain whisky ever truly has a long finish anyway, and perhaps just a wee bit too coconut-driven. Comments: apart from the finish, this really is a great grain whisky, even if I am just a little less enthusiastic than I was twenty years ago. Time flies.
SGP:551 - 86 points.

Strathclyde 19 yo 2005/2024 (61.1%, James Eadie, first fill European oak oloroso finish, cask #367502, 315 bottles)

A finishing period of 28 months is almost double maturation, is it not. Colour: reddish amber. Nose: hazelnuts, peanuts, cashews and toasted sesame seeds. Now, who could possibly object to that? With water: lovely umami, soy sauce, hardwood and thuja. Mouth (neat): there we are, the cask doing all the talking. Nescafé, pepper, lemon, liquorice and dark nougat. With water: the roasted nuts return, together with plenty of citrus zest. Mind you, as is so often the case, I insist, water can make it burst like a balloon and wipe away all sense of structure. At 61% vol., that is always a tricky balancing act… Finish: medium in length, though very much on dark nougat and Nescafé now, perhaps even Ricoré. Coffee and chocolate. Comments: excellent, provided you preserve its rather fragile structure.
SGP:551 - 84 points.

We shall stop here for now, though we may well be back tomorrow with yet more grain whiskies.

Check the index of all grain whiskies we've tasted