Single grain whisky bonanza with three distilleries

Sometimes your desk starts getting filled with samples from several distilleries that slowly form a theme when combined. In the case of today’s blog, I am talking about single grain whisky. We got samples from Port Dundas, North British and a quite old Cambus. Here they are together in one post for a (g)rainy Saturday afternoon for you to read.

We are going to taste these grain whiskies in order of age, starting with the youngest. The kick-off is for Edinburgh based North British, a distillery established in 1885 and still active today. It even has its own website with a nice overview of the history. Do not expect to find tourism information though, that is not how a grain distillery works. This is a work horse in optima forma, owned as a joint venture between Diageo and Edrington. I acquired my sample via Passion for Whisky.

The second whisky was made at Port Dundas Distillery. Now this is a special distillery, founded in Glasgow in 1811 and significant for being one of the founding members of the grain distillers’ team up DCL, which would ultimately become Diageo. At one point, it was also one of the largest distilleries around. It all came to an end in 2011, on the doorstep of the bicentennial, when Diageo focused investment elsewhere and this piece of history was consigned to just that… history. The sample was kindly sent to me by Confessions of a Whisky Freak.

The third whisky was made at Cambus Distillery, also once upon a time a Diageo facility, but much more beloved I guess, since the first official bottling can be traced back to 1906. The advertisement for that expression reads “‘the whisky with an individuality – notably different to all others in peculiar delicacy and charm of flavour – mild and mellow. Not a headache in a gallon”. (Source: Whisky.com) It has officially been bottled, as recently as 2016 in the Special Releases. The history is quite the same as that of Port Dundas, Cambus also being a founder member of DCL. This distillery already closed in 1993, but since 2011 when Port Dundas closed, some works have been transferred to this location. My sample came from membership of a blind tasting club.

North British 2009, bottled at 46 % abv by Signatory Vintage

Makeup: Quite a large vatting from the casks # 260317, 260342, 260346, 260347, all bourbon barrels. The whisky was distilled on 23 June 2009 and put into bottle in October 2023. Seems like a regular release, no special reason to put a few grain casks together at 14 years old.

General impressions: As soon as you get passed the obligatory glue aroma that comes with the territory, you can pick up some hints of hay, sunflower oil and lots of vanilla. There must be a market for such a light style whisky; this one I could see working well in a mixer or cocktail. The mouthfeel is extremely thin, almost fragile, and offers not much more than vanilla and wood spice. Some alcohol hotness arises the longer you keep the liquid on the tongue. Not at all unpleasant, but all rather bland. I did not add water.

Conclusion: Very soft and pleasant whisky, of which I doubt it will keep whisky enthusiasts hooked for a long time. An excellent aperitive dram on a Summer day. Pour it over ice and you’re fine. It misses some more body, like a single malt would provide.

Score: 77 points

Port Dundas 2006, bottled at 54 % abv by King Cask

Makeup: An 18 year old, so four more years compared to the North British, but also a very different maturation, this coming from a first fill oloroso hogshead. Distilled on 29 March 2006, this was bottled in April 2024 and produced 264 bottles.

General impressions: Judging by the colour, this was a full maturation in the sherry cask. Port Dundas from one of the last years of production in the glass here, and it smells pretty bizarre. There is the strong influence of the casks, with raisins and chocolate delight, but also this pretty harsh spirit that just yearns to imitate a bottle of glue in the classroom of my daughter. I like it! Taking a sip, the battle continues, with a nice milk chocolate character on a thin body. As a regular malt whisky drinker, tasting this grain whisky makes you feel like 30 percent of the soul of the drink is missing. It is good stuff, but where malt plays at full volume, grain whisky turns down the sound and you find yourself putting your ear against the speaker. 

With water, the whisky improves, but the finish has a weakness in being too floral, bordering on a soapy note.

Conclusion: Good stuff, honestly, but on the other hand a waste of a good sherry cask. Like I said, this is a whisky walking on only one leg, but it keeps striding just fine (see what I did there?). Recommended if you prefer soft, chocolaty whisky. Excellent nosing.

Score: 80 points

Cambus 30 years old, 1989 – 2009, bottled at 61,1 % abv by Alambic Classique

Makeup: Have you checked the abv on this bad boy, after 30 years in sherry cask #19094? It produced 181 bottles in the Rare and Old Selection of bottler Alambic.

General impressions: Now we’re talking! This sessions proves a well-known fact about grain whisky. It really needs DECADES in the wood before it turns interesting. The Cambus and sherried aroma combined rising from the glass makes for a complex and delicious combination. Floral, sharp edges, but also mellow chocolate and passion fruit. A first sip creates a very sticky mouthfeel and the high abv takes no prisoners. The utterly bitter finish gives notion of dark roast coffee and pure chocolate from faraway cacao plantations in Latin America. Water seems to bring out the magic of a witch’s potion, creating oily slivers in the liquid while swirling through the glass. On the nose, a big dose of cinnamon and nutmeg give room to a whole new side to this Cambus. 

It keeps evolving. It reminds me of “blended at birth” productions of Ben Nevis and Lochside, both distilleries at one time being able to create a single blend. If you can find these bottlings, you should go for it, amazing drinking experiences. This Cambus pulls off almost the same quality, but on its own. That is quite an accomplishment.

Conclusion: Underlining that single grain Scotch whisky can be excellent, when given a lot of time. I am sure this Cambus would have come to the same scores as the North British and Port Dundas, were it bottled at the same age. As it is, this is an unique example of grain grandeur.

Score: 90 points

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