dramlicious.com » Single Grain Whisky

Strathmore 1972 (Rest & Be Thankful)

Christopher Hayn — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 18:10:52 +0000

Today’s Strathmore 1972 from Rest & Be Thankful is a bit of a curiosity. Distilled in 1972, the first bottling took place in 2004. But somehow, the bottles got forgotten in a storage room afterwards and were not found again until 2015. Since some bottles got different fill levels (and different ABV) during the long storage, the remaining whisky was poured together and then bottled again. And that’s why a whisky, distilled in 1972 and bottled in 2015, is only 32 years old!

Facts

Strathmore 1972 (Rest & Be Thankful)

Name:	Strathmore 1972
Bottler:	Rest & Be Thankful
Vintage:	1972
Bottled:	06.03.2015
Age:	32 Years Old
Category:	Single Grain Whisky
Cask Type:	American Oak
Distillery:	North of Scotland
No. of Bottles:	621
Strength:	47.2% vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

Lots of woody flavors. Wood glue, pine resin, fir cone, dusty oak and hints of charred beech. The woody flavors stay dominant, but with some time the aroma opens up a bit and vanilla, toffee, bitter citrus fruits and raspberries come to light.

Taste

Smooth and almost silky. A nice mixture between sweetish red fruits and bitter citrus fruits (thinking of grapefruits and blood oranges). Followed by nougat, pepper and chocolate oatmeal. Some more wood glue, but more in the background.

Finish

Long and smooth with orange toffee and pine resin.

Overall

An enjoyable single grain but the rather woody character might not be for everyone.

Score: 88 / 100

North British 1997 (SV ‘Single Grain Collection’)

Christopher Hayn — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 15:50:01 +0000

North British, owned since 1993 by the Edrington Group and Diageo, is the second largest grain distillery in Scotland. The Edinburgh-based company produces grain whisky for a number of famous blends, including Chivas Regal, Cutty Sark, Famous Grouse and J&B.

Distillery bottlings are pretty much non-existent, however there are now and then releases from independent bottlers. One of them is Signatory Vintage. The North British 1997 is part of their ‘Single Grain Collection’.

Facts

North British 1997 (SV ‘Single Grain Collection’)

Name:	North British 1997
Bottler:	Signatory Vintage
Bottling Series:	Single Grain Collection
Distilled:	15.05.1997
Bottled:	23.02.2015
Age:	17 Years Old
Category:	Single Grain Whisky
Distillery:	North British
Strength:	43.0% vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	Yes

Nose

Pretty light. Lots of vanilla paired with hints of coconuts, honey and citrus fruits. A little bit perfumy.

Taste

Light, fresh and fruity. Starts with sweet citrus fruits and moves on with vanilla and a whiff of pepper. Followed by cacao, oak and peaty earth.

Finish

Long. Pretty dry and a bit spicy. Again a little smokey touch.

Overall

Very smooth, pleasant and a good starting point for everyone who wants to try out single grain whisky.

Score: 87 / 100

Sample provided by whic.de

Invergordon 1988 ‘Caribbean Creme’ (Wemyss Malts)

Christopher Hayn — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 16:00:05 +0000

Onto the next one… the second review for today will cover the Invergordon 1988 ‘Caribbean Creme’. So here we have another grain whisky distilled in 1988 by Invergordon and bottled in 2014 by Wemyss Malts, just like the Invergordon 1988 ‘Lemon Cheesecake’ I reviewed earlier today. Having said this, both of them are single casks releases, so there should be some differences between the two.

Facts

Invergordon 1988 ‘Caribbean Creme’ (Wemyss Malts)

Name:	Invergordon 1988 ‘Lemon Cheesecake’
Bottler:	Wemyss Malts
Vintage:	1988
Bottled:	2014
Age:	26 Years Old
Category:	Single Grain Whisky
Distillery:	Invergordon
Cask Type:	Barrel
Number of bottles:	171
Strength:	46.0% Vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

Whipped cream with peaches and pineapples, strewn with shredded coconut and laced with fresh mint leaves. Also hints of lemons are to be found. Some vanilla marshmallows and fresh pencil shavings in the back.

Taste

Creamy and surprisingly strong with quite a bit of alcohol burn. However very sweet with caramel popcorn and a big portion of vanilla creme. Candied Ginger. Hints of tropical fruits. A bit bitter around the edges with lemon zest and grapefruits.

Finish

Long and warming. Again candied ginger. A whiff of black pepper.

Overall

The light and fresh aroma reminds me of summer, whereas the more powerful and punchy taste gives me the feeling of winter… What a wonderful combination! Although I think a few more years in the cask would have not hurt. Be that as it may, yet another absolute convincing single grain release from Wemyss.

Score: 86 / 100

Invergordon 1988 ‘Lemon Cheesecake’ (Wemyss Malts)

Christopher Hayn — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 10:00:15 +0000

Grain whisky seems to be the unloved stepbrother of malt whisky, often rejected due to its role as a cheap-to-make filler in blends. This seems a bit unfair to me. A well-made single grain is a real enrichment to every whisky cabinet, at least in my opinion.

And that’s why I want to review two single grains from Invergordon today, both bottled by Wemyss Malt. For the start I picked the Invergordon 1988 ‘Lemon Cheesecake’, the first ever single grain release from Wemyss. But first I want to thank my buddy Thorsten for providing me with a sample to review.

Facts

Invergordon 1988 ‘Lemon Cheesecake’ (Wemyss Malts)

Name:	Invergordon 1988 ‘Lemon Cheesecake’
Bottler:	Wemyss Malts
Vintage:	1988
Bottled:	2014
Age:	26 Years Old
Category:	Single Grain Whisky
Distillery:	Invergordon
Cask Type:	Barrel
Number of bottles:	220
Strength:	46.0% Vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

A light and fluffy cheesecake with lemon topping. Mouthwatering sweet. A bit of sawdust. Dark fruits with vanilla. Hints of almonds.

Taste

Smooth, creamy and almost thick. Tropical fruits with a lot of caramel sauce. Lemon juice with sugar cane. Gets spicier with cinnamon and traces of pepper.

Finish

Long and sweet with a light oak dryness. Again tropical fruits, lemon and caramel.

Overall

This is a fine example of a well aged grain whisky from Invergordon – light and summer-like with a refreshing lemony touch. A well done debut single grain from Wemyss.

Score: 85 / 100