Older Grains are among my favourite drams recently (If I can get them), and usually you can get awesome very old grain (30 and older) for much cheaper than you would have to pay for a similarly aged single malt. This however is not the cheapest of them, at 420 quid, this is quite an expensive grain, but hey 50 years in the cask don’t come for cheap, do they?
This is a Hunter Laing bottling, and was sent to me for review as part of the Whisky Shop tasting panel I am honored to be a part of (thank you guys!). This lovely drop was aged in a Refill Bourbon Barrel cask # 11031 , distilled on Aug 1964 and bottled Nov 2014.
Cambus Sovereign 1964 50 yo single grain , 49.2% abv , £420 [Whisky Shop]
Nose : Feels very much like older bourbon. Lots of nail varnish remover, acetone, coconut, sandalwood and pine needless with lots of sugar and some sweet dough. Not as much old wood as I hoped to find but still this is a marvelous nose.
Palate : Big and spicy. Nice alcohol bite with pepper and acetone, oodles of vanilla and dried coconut and some toasted wood. Again , I am getting some sandalwood notes as well as chocolate truffle.Full and oily, with a savory touch.
Finish : Dark chocolate and acetone. Spicy wood and vanilla coconut ice cream. Raisin and nut chocolate.
Bottom Line:
Highly enjoyable stuff, it really shines out after some time in the glass. I bet this would not be anyone’s dram, and some die hard single malt lovers who do not agree with a bourbon-y profile will not be persuaded, but for those who do dig the coconut-y acetone-y sweet profile, this is a rich and rewarding dram, and a fine example of the benefits of long maturation of grain distillate. Quite expensive, though.