Scottish Whisky

Cambus 35 Year Old “Old Particular”
K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky

52.3% ABV
$180
Website

What the Retailer Says

The Cambus distillery is easily one of the best grains out there. The large facility just to the north of the River Forth has been converted to a cooperage and connects to Diageo’s massive Blackgrange warehousing facility. That’s why it’s so tragic Diageo mothballed the distillery in 1993. Its right around 30 years of age that Cambus begins to take on a complexity that made the great old blends (like Johnnie Blue) so well loved across the world. This is absolutely decadent stuff. Grain whisky, which was once written off by aficionados, is becoming more accepted not only because you can find great old whiskies from closed distilleries for relatively affordable prices, but because sometimes you just don’t need the intensity of a single malt. When you’re craving something with depth and complexity, but don’t necessarily want want to get intellectual about it, grab the Cambus. You might not be inspired to write a dissertation, but you will have an unsurpassable drinking experience that’s all about pleasure. We’re moving toward the upper echelons with this one in terms of texture and complexity, but it remains full of sweet confectioners’ sugar and stewed fruit. No bitterness or harshness and the mouth feel is voluptuous, nearly chewy in texture, with a length that few grains under 50 years old can match. Here is a whisky that you can literally give to almost anyone in any context and they’ll appreciate it. Easily one of the finest grains we’ll put out this year.

What the Bottle Says

Cambus Distillery 35 Glorious Years Old

One of 197 Bottles Charged from a Refill Hogshead Ref – DL12716
This Single Cask Was Distilled December 1982 and Bottled August 2018
No Colouring | No Chill Filtration

Specially Selected for K&L Wines
NOSE: Tinned peaches, dried apricots, candy floss and charred oak deliciousness
PALATE: Peach cobbler with thick vanilla ice cream alongside milky cereal and cocoa
FINISH: Lingers sweetly with caramelized bananas, apple peel and brown sugar

What Gary Says

Nose: Vanilla buttercream on a freshly baked pastry, hint of maple and peaches.
Palate: Pastry with maple and vanilla frosting, honey, slowly building spice notes and caramel.
Finish: Moderately long and drying slightly with oak spice.
Comments: A lovely, gentle single grain whisky. This one benefits from some time in the glass (some say a minute in the glass for each year in the cask; I wasn’t that patient but 15-20 minutes definitely helped). It also benefits from a couple drops of water, which on the nose brings out a toffee note along with brown butter, and on the palate brings out some fruit notes as well we thickens the mouthfeel nicely. A really nice example of a well aged single grain! A shame that Cambus was shut down in 1993..

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try