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| Hi, you're in the Archives, August 2026 - Part 1 |
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August 6, 2026 |
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No grain, no gain:
continuing from yesterday and the day before…
I promise this will be the last grain whisky session for quite some time. Thank you for your patience. But first, here's a lesser-known practice... |
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About fresh oak and grain whisky
Back when highly active casks weren't considered essential for maturing malt whisky, as they so often are today, it was not uncommon practice to fill first-fill or new oak casks with cheaper grain whisky first. This helped tame the more aggressive characteristics of fresh oak before entrusting them with precious malt spirit. |
Here's a perfect example: a photograph taken at Lagavulin in 2005. These empty Cambus 1992 casks (from Cambus's penultimate year of distillation), having spent around twelve years shedding the less desirable aromas and flavours imparted by fresh wood, were finally ready to be filled with Lagavulin's powerful yet pretty complex new make spirit.
(WF Archive)
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Invergordon 58 yo 1965/2025 (50%, Duncan Taylor, Signature Reserve, Frank McHardy 60th Anniversary bottling) 
It is obviously rather fascinating that such a towering figure of malt whisky as Frank should have taken an interest in grain whisky, although it helps to remember that he began his career at Invergordon in the early 1960s, are we still allowed to mention that, Frank? Colour: gold. Nose: a delightful marriage of melon, apricot and acacia honey, does that sound tempting? Add farmhouse cider, ripe mangoes and a few chalky touches. In truth, we are firmly in the territory of an excellent malt here, and we struggle to accept that this is grain whisky, even if it is Invergordon, and even at the grand age of 58 years. With water: the most delicate of Wulong teas, straight from the heart of Taiwan. Mouth (neat): oh my, this is beautiful! It might almost have held its own after yesterday’s magnificent Hazelwood, after all. Ripe banana, maple syrup, fresh vanilla, hay jelly, wild carrot, sweet woodruff and mullein syrup. It is perhaps only missing the tiniest touch of muscle, but then again, according to the label, it is grain whisky. With water: a cocktail of exotic fruits softened with coconut milk yet enriched by waxes and roots. Finish: this is usually the point where grain whiskies begin to lose lift, but here it skims through in perfect low flight. Comments: I know I am frightfully late, as always, but sixty years in the business deserves nothing less than a proper Roman triumph, Mr Frank McHardy! Awesome old grain.
SGP:641 - 90 points. |
We are coming gently back down to earth, with even more North British… At this rate, we shall end up emptying the warehouses! |
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North British 20 yo 2005/2025 (54.9%, Dràm Mor, refill bourbon barrel, cask #602953, 184 bottles) 
Colour: white wine. Nose: vanilla, turnips, nougat and a faint wisp of smoke from who knows where. With water: milk chocolate and café macchiato. Now that is very much grain whisky territory. The smoke, meanwhile, has vanished. Mouth (neat): as fruity and rooty as they come. Carrot cake splashed with lemon juice, or something along those lines. With water: the root vegetables become even more prominent, celeriac, gentian and swedes. Incidentally, swede eau-de-vie, as our dear neighbours across the Rhine make it, really is quite something. Finish: not all that short and, thinking about it again, very much on swede and perhaps Jerusalem artichoke. A touch of coffee in the aftertaste. Comments: good fun, good earth.
SGP:651 - 83 points. |
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North British 32 yo 1992/2025 (47.9%, Dramfool, bourbon barrel, cask #320, 188 bottles)
The sheer quantity of North British around these days is quite extraordinary, although when you have to keep Diageo’s and Edrington’s blends flowing, you do need some serious capacity. Well, mostly Diageo’s, to be fair. Colour: white wine. Nose: gentle, even more so on tinned sweetcorn than any of the others, with white chocolate, vanilla dessert cream, Danette, Mont Blanc, and suntan lotion made with shea butter and coconut milk. Happy holidays at the seaside, everyone! Mouth: camomile infusion, orange blossom water, a little Japanese roasted tea, hojicha, together with soft, fragrant oak. Sandalwood. Finish: much the same, though earthier and more herbal. Fairly short all the same, but some lovely citrus notes lift the aftertaste and earn it an extra point, there. Comments: simply very good.
SGP:551 – 84 points. |
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North British 31 yo 1993/2025 (44.3%, Lady of the Glen, refill bourbon barrel, cask #52734, 113 bottles) 
It is only because this is Whiskyfun that we are not even going to suggest there might be ‘rather a little too much’ of North British in our independent friends’ bottling portfolios. I promise you, we are holding up remarkably well… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: we cannot really claim there is a great deal of substance here. It is chiefly on tinned sweetcorn, vanilla and soft nougat. At least we have escaped the coconut this time. Mouth: ah, this is a little on the skinny side, diaphanous, transparent and gently sweet. This baby is going to set us a rather low benchmark, and perhaps we needed one. Finish: short and rather hollow. Comments: in a cocktail rather than neat, if you please. Mind you, there is plenty worse out there, malt whiskies included.
SGP:631 - 78 points. |
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North British 34 yo 1991/2025 (43.5%, Tri Carragh, refill bourbon barrel, 165 bottles) 
I do not think that when we started WF, twenty-four years ago, we ever imagined we would one day end up tasting more than a dozen North British in a single session. We would probably have devoted ourselves instead to growing cyclamens, tuning Porsche flat-twins or settling the eternal Clapton versus Page debate. Not forgetting Jeff Beck and Hendrix, of course. Colour: white wine. Nose: much like the previous one. Tinned sweetcorn, herbal infusions and apple juice. Mouth: quite pleasant, thanks to those nicely ripe apples setting the rhythm. Sweet cider, herbal infusions, barley syrup, yes indeed, and popcorn caramelised with lemon blossom honey. I may be gilding the lily ever so slightly, but it is for a good cause. Finish: not especially long, though gently lemony and pleasantly earthy. Comments: the balance is there, and so is the freshness.
SGP:551 - 80 points. |
You must be joking, more North British… |
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North British 29 yo 1995/2025 (49.9%, James Eadie, Distilleries of Great Britain & Ireland, refill hogshead, 361 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: now this is interesting, with echoes of white wine somewhere between Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, followed by wheat beer. Quite a shift, you must admit! In short, a remarkably fermentary grain whisky, something we encounter only very rarely. The cask has probably had a hand in this… Mouth: grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, this time more aromatic white wines, Viognier and Gewürztraminer, alongside floral syrups, mullein and acacia. This is really rather good, despite the fragile structure that so often comes with grain whisky. Finish: not all that short, nicely focused and almost oily, with some lovely bitter notes that are themselves rather unusual in grain whisky. Comments: this is clearly a very good North British, but we have simply had enough North British for the time being. I think we shall declare a ban until at least 2030.
SGP:651 - 84 points. |
You know what, I think it is time we brought this madness to an end. We still have quite a few grain whiskies waiting in the wings, but they can have their turn another day. Instead of yet another North (gulp) British (gulp), let us finish by digging out something a little more unusual. Assuming we can find such a thing… |
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De Lepelaar 2021/2024 ‘Seaweed Tricolore Smoked Grain Whisky’ (45%, OB, palo cortado, 240 bottles) 
Straight from the island of Texel. Judging by the language spoken by the owners, we are either in the Netherlands or Belgian Flanders. I hope I am not ruffling any feathers here, but above all I wanted to break away from the admittedly rather wearisome procession of Scottish grain whiskies produced by the million litres every year. Some are good, some decidedly less so, but on the whole, they are about as exhilarating as a Bergman trilogy or a speech by Pete Hegseth. It is ‘Hegseth’, is it not? Right then, Pete Hegseth… Colour: gold. Nose: at last, some action! Bread, yeasts, beers, squashes and pumpkins, bitter oranges, bitters, Cynar, Fernet-Branca, Noilly Prat and the like. This is really rather lovely. Mouth: earth, spices, roots, bitters, ginseng, ginger, turmeric, bitter oranges and cumin. Finish: long, with pronounced yet very attractive bitters, plus a salty touch in the aftertaste. Comments: this really is a splendid little creature, one I did not know at all. Nor, for that matter, had I ever heard of ‘De Lepelaar’. Bravo, Mr or Mrs Lepelaar, assuming they actually exist. BTW this is probably not ex-high column.
SGP:462 - 85 points. |
Mind you, in Scotland and in other places they tend to call ‘grain whisky’ anything that is not purely malt batch-distilled twice or more in proper pot stills. |
… But come on then, one last North British for a good long while. After all, that famous Diageo and Edrington distillery has rather set the tempo over the past three days. After this, though, I promise, no more grain whiskies, and none for a veeeeery long time… |
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North British 30 yo 1993/2023 (48.9%, Volpe & Castello, Stonyhurst, Hong Kong Exclusive, cask #48668)
They certainly seem like rather nice people. Colour: chardonnay. Nose: custard, English breakfast tea, nougat, Chardonnay, quite specifically, blancmange and caramelised popcorn. In short, as gentle as a lamb. With water: roughly three tonnes of marshmallows. Mouth (neat): plenty of white nougat and vanilla fudge, with a generous splash of orgeat syrup. With water: a little orange syrup, pistachio syrup, milk chocolate and orange blossom infusion. It all feels rather ‘Dubai’, truth be told, one of the contemporary world's lower depths (hey, we're only joking). Finish: not especially long, sweet and a little syrupy. Comments: within this very rounded, sweet style, it ranks among the better examples. Even if that is not saying all that much…
SGP:630 - 81 points. |
We really must s-t-o-p now, okay? |
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August 5, 2026 |
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No grain, no gain:
continuing from yesterday…
And we shall try to pick up the pace a little, as there are really rather a lot of them still waiting in the wings… |
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North British 33 yo 1991/2024 (43.3%, Tri Carragh, refill barrel, 163 bottles)
… and North British is made from… maize, well done, you were paying attention yesterday. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: very attractively lemony, bringing to mind lemon pie, perhaps even rhubarb tart, with just a little vanilla cream. It comes rather close to some old Lowland malts, Bladnoch, Rosebank… Mouth: we notice the alcohol a little, alongside sweets, gelatine and a touch of eau de Cologne, yet it remains nicely balanced. Also, a little lemon vodka, much like in one of yesterday’s drams, though I cannot quite remember which one. Finish: not especially long and without any major developments, leaving a small measure of limoncello in the aftertaste. Comments: this really is a matter of… the cask. Yesterday’s Morisco 1991 had rather more texture.
SGP:651 - 82 points. |
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Invergordon 47 yo 1977/2025 (43.6%, Exquisite Casks, refill bourbon barrel, cask #7, 204 bottles)
Ah, here is one of those famous old Invergordons, and not dressed up in sherry. All the better, we ought to be rather closer to the distillate itself… Colour: pale gold. Nose: clearly fresher, tauter, more herbal and earthier, before gradually moving towards pastries, scones and croissants. Mouth: it retreats a little towards plain ethanol, even at this venerable age, yet the texture and its gentle porridge-like character are sufficient to carry it through the journey that eventually leads us to… column-still rum. Finish: medium in length, with hay, coconut and vanilla. Comments: we rather miss the sherry, but this remains a very good old grain whisky in my opinion.
SGP:451 - 83 points. |
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North British 15 yo 2010/2025 (43.7%, Jean Boyer, Gifted Stills of Scotland, 2nd fill Port finish, 356 bottles)
Well now, in this context, a Port finish might actually make rather good sense, let us find out… Colour: gold. Nose: Iindeed, it does, adding a welcome layer of complexity without taking anything away from a grain whisky that is, by nature, not exactly the most complex creature. Tomato vine, peonies, freshly cut grass and strawberry soup, all without drifting into an excess of red fruits. No doubt the refill cask has played its part… Mouth: it continues to work rather well, with blueberry muffins and perhaps a few drops of crème de cassis. It would make a rather good kir. Finish: fairly long, with a slightly rough edge, but we rather like rough-edged grain whiskies, it makes a pleasant change from endless coconut. Comments: a thoroughly charming little baby, and a very good idea from the house Jean Boyer.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Strathclyde 30 yo 1994/2025 (44.2%, Tri Carragh, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 204 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: wonderfully gentle, with white chocolate mousse, a few touches of pineapple, nougat and popcorn. In the background, a faint hint of aniseed. Mouth: we find that utterly gentle profile once again, a little fruitier this time, with little sweets, Jell-O and apricot, yet remaining beautifully balanced and, above all, free from the intrusive ethanol notes encountered elsewhere. Finish: not especially long, though still balanced and… wonderfully gentle, as smooth as cream. Various herbal infusions linger in the aftertaste. Comments: did I mention that this is a grain whisky full of kindness?
SGP:641 - 85 points. |
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Cambus 31 yo 1993/2025 (50.9%, James Eadie, sherry butt, cask #48088, 349 bottles)
I do not think we have ever been quite so delighted to stumble upon a fine old sherry cask! Colour: full gold. Nose: and there is hardly any gunpowder, struck matches, truffles or cabbage soup to be found! Instead, plenty of chocolate, praline, chestnut cream, pepper and espresso, make that a double, if you please. With water: a little artichoke and aubergine emerge all the same. Mouth (neat): really very good, just slightly earthy at first, then becoming pepperier before turning properly chocolatey. Dark chocolate filled with cherry liqueur. With water: the chestnut cream returns, joined by three drops of kirsch and a generous helping of whipped cream, if you please. Finish: fairly long, still on chestnut cream, though this time laced with rum. Comments: the texture remains just a little lean for the malt enthusiast, yet this is still an excellent grain whisky.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
We are not dipping much below the 80-point mark, are we? That is surely an encouraging sign for the quality of the single grains being offered by the independents these days… |
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North British 26 yo 1998/2024 (56.5%, Lady of the Glen, oloroso hogshead, cask #596158, 142 bottles)
I can already hear you, ‘Another North British!’ Indeed, but this one comes from an ex-sherry cask… Colour: reddish amber, or partridge eye, or onion skin… Nose: lovely oloroso, full of tobacco, soy sauce, potting soil, coffee dregs and walnut wine. With water: a pack of dark cigarettes. I shall leave you to choose the brand. Mouth (neat): a little less straightforward on the palate, very much on stone fruit eau-de-vie before it has quite settled down. Mind you, that reddish hue was rather unusual for oloroso, could this not actually be Port? Not on the nose, certainly, but on the palate… (None of that makes the slightest sense, S.) With water: we come back to the grain, with a few faint soapy notes that may well come from the water we have added, a touch of saponification perhaps, but we have no time to wait for them to disappear, assuming they ever do. Finish: not especially long, with kirsch to the fore. Pink grapefruit in the aftertaste. Comments: slightly bewildering, but there is certainly plenty happening here, and that is worth an extra point or two.
SGP:641 - 83 points. |
This is turning into a full-blown North-British-a-thon… |
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North British 32 yo 1991/2023 (45.6%, Zn09, Cyberpunk, first fill barrel, 244 bottles)
We do rather enjoy Zn09, aka Zero Nine Spirits, and their delightfully post-apocalyptic labels, all the more so since they do not even appear to have been churned out by some vulgar AI. Magic! Colour: white wine. Nose: now this is a first, a medicinal single grain with distinct touches of acetone. There is a little nail varnish all the same, alongside asparagus and hairspray. In short, this is enormous fun. Very little vanilla or coconut for a first fill cask, bravo. Mouth: highly entertaining indeed, with the asparagus returning alongside eucalyptus and even a little camphor. We would never have guessed first fill, rather an ex-lightly peated cask. Finish: surprisingly long, with celeriac and carrots before gentian takes over. Comments: what on earth is this thing?
SGP:462 - 87 points. |
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Dumbarton 25 yo ‘Batch 1’ (50.5%, Living Souls, refill barrels, 2025)
Most likely distilled in 2000, remember that Dumbarton closed its doors in 2002. Colour: white wine. Nose: once again, good fun, Maggi seasoning, umami, oyster sauce and fermenting fruits. In short, all manner of things we rarely encounter in grain whisky, and this is not even ex-sherry. With water: back to the cereals, pancakes and cornflakes, in other words, breakfast. Mouth (neat): going all in on coconut liqueur, Malibu and certain Irish whiskeys, Midleton springs to mind, with a little glue and almond milk alongside. With water: it regains its footing somewhat, moving towards sweet root vegetables, sweet potato in particular. Finish: no longer than the others, though once again it drifts slightly towards arranged rum, vanilla-flavoured, for example. Comments: at the end of the day, this is certainly a very good grain whisky, provided light textures are not an issue for you.
SGP:641 - 82 points. |
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Invergordon 36 yo 1988/2024 (57.8%, Dramfool, Middle Cut, bourbon barrel, cask #1486, 156 bottles)
Can we really speak of a middle cut when dealing with spirit distilled continuously? A matter for debate… Colour: gold. Nose: we find broken twigs and vanilla pods once again, alongside white chocolate, blancmange, meringue and buttercream. With water: fresh hay. Mouth (neat): a complete about-turn. Most attractive, now edging surprisingly close to a rather high-ester, grand arôme-style rum, although I have not the faintest idea where that might be coming from. Acetone, varnish, petrol and capers. With water: the varnish remains, although the whole becomes rather gentler after dilution. Finish: not especially long, both soft and herbal at the same time. Little bananas. Comments: this baby certainly kept us on our toes, and that alone is worth an extra point.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
Now then, trumpets and drums if you please, unfurl the banners, for here comes… something entirely different. |
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House of Hazelwood 1968/2022 (49.2%, OB, The Cask Trials, single grain, 303 bottles)
Every Hazelwood by William Grant that we have tasted has been magnificent, and we rather suspect this Girvan, because I suppose it can only be Girvan, built in 1963, may well prove no exception, despite the ‘Black Barrel’ adventures that failed to convince us all those years ago. But that was a long time back indeed and a great deal of Balvenie has flowed under the bridge since then, has it not? Colour: amber mahogany. Nose: let us say it plainly, if every single grain were like this, we would launch singlegrainfun.com on the spot and set off to evangelise the world. In short, this is magnificent, displaying gloriously ripe exotic fruits, papayas and mangoes in abundance, alongside a breathtaking collection of honeys, from thyme to manuka. In the background, a few little figs and dark nougat. A dazzling nose, and I find it hard to believe this is grain whisky. And yet, it most certainly is… Mouth: sublime, extraordinarily complex, brimming with long-forgotten herbal liqueurs, Arquebuse, for one, and honeys unknown even to seasoned beekeepers. Then come the tobaccos and teas, so many of them that we would need an entire day simply to list them all. Finish: not eternal on the palate, perhaps, but eternal in spirit, with every conceivable nuance of conifer. I shall spare you the full inventory. Comments: This is no longer grain whisky, it is meta-spirit, they are all here, Cognac, rum, whisky, tequila, Armagnac, brandy and pisco. A genuine masterclass in cask maturation.
SGP:662 - 93 points. |
… There is one drawback with drams of this calibre: it becomes quite pointless even to contemplate tasting any other grain whisky after such a session-killer. Which simply means we shall be back tomorrow, with yet more grain whiskies. |
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August 4, 2026 |
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No grain, no gain:
an avalanche of North British and other grain whiskies, Part 1 |
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| 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… |
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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. |
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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… |
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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. |
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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. |
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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… |
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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… |
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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… |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
July 2026
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Serge's favourite recent bottling this month:
Longmorn 56 yo 1968/2025 (54.3%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice Heritage Collection, first fill sherry butt, cask #5833, 200 bottles) - WF 94
Serge's favourite older bottling this month:
Longmorn 30 yo 1964/1995 (53.2%, Signatory Vintage, oak cask, cask #51, 208 bottles) - WF 92
Serge's favourite bang for your buck this month:
Kornog (46%, OB, France, Brittany, +/-2026) - WF 87
Serge's favourite malternative this month:
Galion 2025/2026 ‘Grand Arôme’ (63%, Landier & Vingtier, Les Fontaines du Chai 27, Martinique, cask #15) - WF 90
Serge's thumbs up this month:
Glen Garioch 52 yo 1973/2026 (53.8%, WhiskyLand, Decadent Drinks, 1st fill sherry butt, 240 bottles) - WF 94
Serge's Lemon Prize this month:
Bonpland ‘Blanc VSOP’ (40%, OB, Germany, blended rum, +/-2020) - WF 50 |
We would like to remind you
that we do not take prices
into account, except for the
“bang for your buck” category. |
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Best spirits Serge tried those weeks, 90+ points only
House of Hazelwood 1968/2022 (49.2%, OB, The Cask Trials, single grain, 303 bottles)
Invergordon 58 yo 1965/2025 (50%, Duncan Taylor, Signature Reserve, Frank McHardy 60th Anniversary bottling)
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