Girvan 1994 (The Exclusive Grains - TCWC)

”Glue Wine”

Whisky Review # 901

Country: Scotland
Region: Lowlands

Brand: Girvan 1994 - Distilled on March 24, 1994
Bottled by: The Creative Whisky Company in 2017 -  Bottles: 189
Series: The Exclusive Grains

Type: Single Grain Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # 605727
Age: 23 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 53.8% - Cask Strength
Maturation: Sherry Hogshead
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: Around US$ 100 (January 2021)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍You won't find Single Malt Sherry Bombs at this price level
Buying Advice: 😐It's well-made but somehow it doesn't work for me

Colour:

Golden Amber (Natural Color)

Nose:

Please give this Girvan enough time in the glass before Nosing. The initial waves of Varnish, Acetone, Glue and Alcohol need to calm down. This is the first time I'm nosing a Single Grain Whisky that matured in a Sherry Cask. As you will probably know, most Single Grains are matured in Ex-Bourbon casks. I have mixed feelings about this Sherry cask to be honest. On the one hand it adds lots of Sweet Red Fruit and Rum Flavors but it also tends to overpower the Girvan Spirit. Looking forward to hear your thoughts on this subject!

Main Aromas:

Toasted Cereals, Caramel, Vanilla, Demerara Sugar, Rum-soaked Raisins, Roasted Nuts, Plum Jam, Acetone, Varnish, Glue, Dark Chocolate, Caffe-Latte, Buttered Toast, Bounty Candy Bars, Cloves & Oak. The Alcohol is not completely integrated. The Sweet nose will remind you of Rum and, to a lesser extent, Brandy.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Honey, Golden Syrup, Butterscotch, Blackberries, Sweet Apple, Bananas, Cinnamon and Leather.

Palate:

Medium Body. The Sherry Cask totally controls the Girvan Spirit. It's quite Sweet with lots of Dried Fruit, Caramel and X-Mas ingredients. It's difficult to get rid of the Glue, Varnish, Acetone and Alcohol waves.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Christmas Cake soaked with Rum and Raisins, Plum Jam, Dark Chocolate, Alcohol, Glue, Acetone, Varnish, Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Syrup, Butterscotch, Figs, Blackberries, Black Cherries, Bounty Candy Bars, Roasted Almonds, Seville-Orange, Cloves, Licorice, Mint, Leather and Tobacco.

Finish:

Middle-Long and Sweet at first with a few Bitter notes towards the Dry end. The Alcohol remains ever present and Oak & Wood Spices come to the front. The Sherry Cask influence is overwhelming. I find Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Honey, X-Mas Cake soaked with Rum and Raisins, Plums, Seville-Orange, Figs, Mint-Chocolate, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger, Licorice, Oak, Glue, Varnish, Acetone, Alcohol and Leather.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little water and that helps to partly calm down Palate and Finish. On the Nose the Alcohol seems to intensify somewhat and that's remarkable. I do get a light Metallic note on the Finish. But on the whole I would advise you to add a bit of Water to this Girvan.

Rating: 85.5

Nose: 21 - Taste: 22  - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Well-Made but not really my thing!

Conclusion:

Girvan Distillery was founded in Girvan (South Ayrshire) in 1963. It is owned by William Grant & Sons. Most of the production is used in the William Grant Blends like Grant's and Clan MacGregor. The Grain Whisky is produced with 91.5% Wheat and 8.5% Malted Barley. The distillery has six Column stills with a total annual capacity of 115 million litres. The distillery also produces Hendrick's Gin.

It's generally accepted that 65 to 70% of the Flavors of any Whisky are formed by the contact of the Spirit with the Cask during maturation. I would guess that this percentage is even higher for Grain Whisky. That's why many Single Grain Whiskies go the market with more than 20 Years of Cask time. The Girvan I'm tasting today matured in an Ex-Sherry Cask and that's unusual. But 23 Years is a long time and the cask really took control over the Spirit. That probably will excite Sherry Bomb fans looking for a relative bargain. They should not forget one thing though. This is not a Single Malt Whisky and the Grain Alcohol, Glue, Varnish and Acetone spoil a bit of the Sherry party. If you're okay with that, go for it as the Price is this Girvan's greatest asset. My personal opinion: This Glue Wine is well-made but doesn't ring any Whisky bells!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                      January 31, 2021

Girvan 1989 ( Celebration of the Cask) Review

“I Love a Grainy Night”

Whisky Review # 882

Country: Scotland
Region: Lowlands

Brand: Girvan 1989 - Distilled on April 17, 1989
Bottled by: Morrison & MacKay (MMcK) on February 20, 2017 - 120 Bottles
Series: Carn Mor (Celebration of the Cask Series)

Type: Single Grain Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # 37527
Age: 27 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 47.5% - Cask Strength
Maturation: Bourbon Barrel
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 130-170 (July 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐Okay. You can't expect 27-Year old Whisky to be cheap. 
Buying Advice: 👍if you're a fan of Grain Whisky.

Colour:

Light Gold  (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Be sure to give this Girvan sufficient time in the glass before Nosing. The first waft of Varnish will diminish with time. Initially the Nose reminded me strongly of a plate of Honeyed Breakfast Cereals with Dried Fruits. With some patience you will be able to narrow that down a bit and also find Nutty and Dairy notes. The Alcohol is there but it doesn't spoil the Nosing fun. The Nose is still quite Fresh given its 27 years.

Main Aromas:

Sugared Cereals, Vanilla, Syrup, Honey, Grass, Fresh & Dried Fruit such as Apples, Pears, Bananas and Raisins, Coconut Milk, Candied Almonds, Charred Oak, Cloves and Polished Wood.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Buttered Toast, Toffee, Cake topped with Cream, Nutella, Peach-Flavored Yogurt, Nectarine, Lemon, Grapefruit, Dried and Fresh Herbs, Ginger and Varnish.

Palate:

A mix of Bitter-Sweet and Sour notes. Good contact between Cask # 37527 and the Spirit. Grain Whisky is not my favourite type of Whisky but this Girvan tastes okay. Medium-Creamy. The Alcohol remains noticeable though.

Main Flavours:

Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Toffee, Vanilla, Apple, Pear, Lemon, Grapefruit, Nutella, Marzipan, Nougat, Charred Oak, Varnish, Pepper and Dried Herbs.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Sultanas, Raisins, Banana, Bounty Bars, Licorice, Aniseed, Nutmeg, Ginger, Menthol and Cloves.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Medium-Dry & Bitter-Sweet. A few Sour notes pop up as well. Medium Creamy. The Alcohol remains noticeable throughout the tasting session. The Oak comes to the front now along with its Spices. I find Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Vanilla, Toffee, Apple, Pear, Lemon, Grapefruit, Seville-Orange, Floral Notes, Milk-Hazelnut Chocolate, Dried Apricot, Coconut, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Curry, Mint, Varnish, Dried Herbs, Bounty Bars, Charred Oak and Caffe Latte.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little water and the Alcohol naturally steps down. I get extra Cream and Peach Jam on the Nose. It helps to calm down the Palate and Finish as well but you will lose some Flavors there. I would suggest to add just 4 drops to a small dram.

Rating: 83.5

Nose: 21 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 20.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

Girvan Distillery was founded in Girvan (South Ayrshire) in 1963. It is owned by William Grant & Sons. Most of the production is used in the William Grant Blends like Grant's and Clan MacGregor. The Grain Whisky is produced with 91.5% Wheat and 8.5% Malted Barley. The distillery has six Column stills with a total annual capacity of 115 million litres. The distillery also produces Hendrick's Gin.

It's generally accepted that 65 to 70% of the Flavors of any Whisky are formed by the contact of the Spirit with the Cask during maturation. I would guess that this percentage is even higher for Grain Whisky. That's why many Single Grain Whiskies go the market with over 20 Years of Cask time. The Girvan I'm tasting today did certainly mature in a good cask. There are sufficient Creamy Flavors around to justify its existence as a sipping Whisky. Adding Water is as always a personal thing. You can add a few drops but I prefer it neat. If you're into Grain Whisky you will certainly like this Girvan. I must admit that Grain Whisky so far does not really ring all my bells but this Girvan is certainly one of the better ones I've tasted so far.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                              July 6, 2020

Girvan 1994 (Carn Mor) Review

“The Grain, the Park and Other Things”

Whisky Review # 868

Country: Scotland
Region: Lowlands

Brand: Girvan 1994 - Distilled on October 18, 1994
Bottled by: Morrison & MacKay (MMcK) on January 18, 2016 - 178 Bottles
Series: Carn Mor (Celebration of the Cask)

Type: Single Grain Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # 137176
Age: 21 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 49.3% - Cask Strength
Maturation: Bourbon Barrel
Chill Filtration: No
Price: Around US$ 150 (April 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😑A 21-old Whisky can't be cheap of course
Buying Advice: 👎It's quite simple and not worth this kind of money

Colour:

Pale Gold  (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Be sure to give this Girvan enough time in the glass before Nosing in order to get rid of the first heavy Alcohol fumes. Having done just that I must confess that there still isn't a whole lot going on in this department. It's mainly Sweet with clear Bourbon cask characteristics. There are no real off-notes except for a little Varnish but I can't get very excited about this simple nose to be honest.

Main Aromas:

Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Vanilla, Grass, Resin, Grain Alcohol, Milk Chocolate, Orchard Fruit like Apples, Pears and Green Plums, Orange, Cinnamon, Pepper & Ginger.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Buttered Toast, Toffee, Charred Oak, Bourbon, Varnish, Plastic, Syrup, Banana Ice-Cream, Lemon, Nectarine, Fresh - & Dried Herbs and Polished Upholstery.

Palate:

A bit Thin for a 21 Year-Old Whisky. The cask can't have been a very active one. The Palate is a little Edgy and Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour notes. Again, there's nothing too exciting going on.

Main Flavours:

Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Vanilla, Banana Ice-Cream, Green Apple, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Aniseed and Menthol.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Toffee, Caramel, Syrup, Bounty Candy Bars, Charred Oak, Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Polished Upholstery, Varnish, Bourbon, Sultanas, Fresh & Dried Herbs and Licorice.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Creamy, Oily and Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour notes. Quite Dry towards the end. I find Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Grain Alcohol, Vanilla, Toffee and Caramel, Charred Oak, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Fresh and Dried Herbs, Banana Ice-Cream, Bounty-Bars, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Aniseed, Menthol, Green Apple and Varnish.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water does not improve this Girvan. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 80

Nose: 20 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 19.5 - Overall: 20

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay

Conclusion:

Girvan Distillery was founded in Girvan (South Ayrshire) in 1963. It is owned by William Grant & Sons. Most of the production is used in the William Grant Blends like Grant's and Clan MacGregor. The Grain Whisky is produced with 91.5% Wheat and 8.5% Malted Barley. The distillery has six Column stills with a total annual capacity of 115 million litres. The distillery also produces Hendrick's Gin.

It's generally accepted that 65 to 70% of the Flavours of any Whisky are formed by the contact of the Spirit with the Cask during maturation. I would guess that this percentage is even higher for Grain Whisky. That's why many Single Grain Whiskies go the market with over 20 Years of Cask time. The Girvan I'm tasting today matured for 21 years and it could have matured more if you ask me. But you need active casks as well and # 137176 is a bit of a disappointment in this respect. I must admit that Single Grain is not really my thing in general but that won't stop me from trying again in the near future!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                     April 13 ,2020

Port Dundas 1992 (Douglas Laing) Review

“It’s Graining Again”

Whisky Review # 712

Country: Scotland

Brand: Port Dundas 1992 
Bottled: 2013 - Hunter Hamilton, Glasgow (The Clan Denny) - Cask HH 9452

Type: Single Grain Single Cask Whisky
Age: 21 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 55.7% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Refill Hogshead    
Chill Filtration: No          
Price Range: US$ 200-230 (April 2018) 
Buying Advice: 😕 It's not bad I guess but it's not my kind of thing.  

Colour:

Light Golden (Natural Colour)

Nose:

The Alcohol is quite strong so you need to find your way around that. This Grain Whisky also needs a lot of time in the glass before Nosing. The Port Dundas is Sweet, Fresh, Clean, Yeasty and Earthy on the Nose and it resembles Bourbon. The Nosing of a Grain Whisky takes longer than a Malt Whisky as the Spirit only slowly and (sometimes) hesitantly releases its Aromas.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Cereals, Caramel, Toffee, Caffe Latte, Saw Dust, Artificially Flavoured Candy (Banana, Pear, Cherry, Pineapple), Dusty Track, Straw and Paint Thinner.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Citrus, Charred Oak, Coconut, Menthol, Ginger and Cocoa Powder.   

Palate:

The arrival is slightly Thinner than I would expect given the high ABV. On the palate, this Port Dundas is Bitter-Sweet, a little Salty and quite Dry. 

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Paint Thinner, Salted Caramel, Vanilla (Bourbon), Charred Oak, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Caffe Latte, Artificially Flavoured Candies and Cocoa Powder.  

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Creamy Toffee, Ginger, Honey and Young Dutch Cheese.       

Finish:

Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet, Spicy and a little Hot. A few Salty notes as well right at the end. I find Artificially Flavoured Candies (Pear, Banana), Paint Thinner, Cocoa Powder, Caffe Latte, Vanilla (Bourbon), Salted Caramel, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg and Toasted Cereals.  

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and on the Nose this Port Dundas relaxes and becomes more Fruity. Additional Dairy as well. The strong Pain Thinner retreats and that's a good thing. Palate and Finish do not change significantly but become a little more Friendly as well. My advise is to add a few drops.

Rating: 84 

Nose: 21 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21    

Drinking Experience:

Good and Interesting but not quite my style.  

Conclusion:

There's nothing really wrong with this mature Grain Whisky other than that it is what it is. And you must like this different Aroma/Flavour profile to really enjoy this Port Dundas. Mature Grain Whisky is not comparable to the young Alcohol that is used for Blends. It's quite clear that this Port Dundas interacted well with the cask. Still it's a very direct Spirit and it misses the fine nuances that a well matured Malt whisky brings to the table. Personally I would not spend over 200 US Dollars for this type of Whisky but if you're into Grain Whisky this P. Dundas might just be your kind of thing.  

Jan van den Ende                                                                     April 5, 2018

Girvan 1989 (Berry Bros & Rudd) Review

“Grainy Days and Mondays” 

Country: Scotland 

Region: Lowlands 

Brand: Girvan 1989  
Selected and Bottled By/For: Berry Bros & Rudd, London

Type: Single Grain Whisky

Age: 24 Years

ABV: 46% 

Colour: Light Golden (Natural Colour) 

Nose: The first impressions are Varnish, Sugared Breakfast Cereals and Alcohol. Not unusual for Grain Whisky. Be sure to give the Girvan sufficient time in the glass before Nosing. After a while some Fruity notes come through like Pear, Apple, Banana Ice Cream, Nectarine and Citrus. I also find Chocolate-Flavoured Milk, Vanilla, Milky Way bars, Corn Syrup, Buttered Toast, Bourbon, Charred Oak, Grass and Herbs. It's not bad but the Alcohol is quite dominant. There is a faint Plastic/Rubber off-note but it's not really bothering me.

Palate: Adequate Delivery. Bitter-Sweet and slightly Sour. The Alcohol is very present. I find Sugared Cereals, Toffee, Vanilla, Charred Oak, Milk Chocolate, Apple, Pineapple, Lemon, Grapefruit, Varnish, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger Powder, Cinnamon, light Licorice, Menthol, Dried Herbs, Rum and hints of Aniseed and Espresso.    

Finish: Middle-Long, slightly Sour and Bitter-Sweet with Breakfast Cereals, Oak, Dried Herbs, Lemon, Grapefruit, Menthol, Varnish, Ginger, Pepper, Nutmeg and hints of White Chocolate and Espresso. The Alcohol remains very present until the very end.

I added a bit of Water and you get rid of most of the Varnish on the Nose. It becomes quite Creamy and Buttery. Lots of Cereals as well. Palate and Finish become quite Smooth and Creamy/Buttery but the Flavours get flat. Still, you can certainly experiment with a little Water  

Rating: 80.5 

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20

General Remarks: The Girvan Distillery was founded in Girvan (South Ayrshire) in 1963. It is owned by William Grant & Sons. Most of the production is used in the William Grant Blends. The Grain Whisky is produced with 90% Wheat and 10% Malted Barley. The distillery has 6 Column stills with a total annual output of around 75 million litres. The Vintage Girvan I'm tasting today was distilled in 

1989 and bottled in 2013 by Indie Bottler Berry Bros. & Rudd. It matured in 2 Ex-Bourbon Casks (# 37534/535). This Girvan is not Chill-Filtered. It is still available in some places at a price of around 110 US Dollars (November 2015).

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good. The Alcohol is way too dominant.  

Conclusion: It's generally accepted that 65 to 70% of the Flavours of any Malt Whisky are formed by the contact of the Spirit with the Cask during maturation. I would guess that this percentage is even higher for Grain Whisky. That's probably why many Single Grain Whiskies go the market with over 20 Years of Cask time. The Girvan I'm tasting today matured for 24 long years and still I feel it wasn't quite enough as the Whisky is dominated by the Alcohol. On the Nose you can carefully wind your way around the Alcohol but on the Palate and in the Finish this is not possible and you get the full blast of it. I have nosed and tasted three Single Grain Whiskies so far and I have to admit they are not quite my thing. But that won't stop me from trying a few others of course! Everything for science!       

Jan van den Ende                                                               November 9 , 2015

Dumbarton 1986 Review

“King of Grain”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Lowland

Brand: Dumbarton 1986 (Scott's Selection) 

Type: Single Grain Whisky

Age: 25 Years

ABV: 51.5 %

Colour: Golden Yellow

Nose: Similar to Bourbon but less Sweet. I find Grains, Corn Meal, Charred Oak, Vanilla, Buttered Toast, Fresh Nectarines, Orange, Nuts, Espresso Coffee, light Honey, Heather, Toffee, Nutmeg, Apple Pie stuffed with Raisins and traces of Furniture Wax and Glue. The Alcohol is strong and not fully integrated. 

Palate: Sweet Grains are at War with the Sharp Alcohol. Amongst the debris I find Stone Fruit (Apricot, Nectarine, Pear), Orange, Vanilla, Toffee, Oak, Dried Herbs, Pepper, Licorice and Ginger. 

Finish: Middle-Long, slightly Edgy and Bitter-Sweet with Nectarine, Orange, Honey, Pear, Nutella, Lemon-Pepper, Charred Oak, light Licorice and some Cinnamon. After a while the Furniture Wax from the Nose reappears.

I added a bit of Water and you will find more Corn, Apricot and Toffee on the Nose. The Alcohol retreats and that's a good thing in this case. On the Palate and in the Finish Spices, Herbs and Licorice start to dominate. In the Finish I detect a slightly Sour Vinegar tone. I recommend to add a few drops when Nosing. But better sip it neat.

Rating: 84 

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

Dumbarton "The Way It Used To Be"

General Remarks: The Dumbarton Grain Distillery a.k.a. Inverleven was founded in 1938 by the Canadian Distiller Hiram Walker. It is located in Dumbarton on the Clyde Coast. When Pernod Ricard took over Allied Domecq they also became the owners of Dumbarton. Unfortunately it was closed in 2002, mainly because the production facility was very old and difficult to modify. Instead, production was transferred to Strathclyde where large investments were made. Dumbarton was known for using Corn instead of Wheat. Dumbarton/Inverleven was demolished in 2005.

The Scott's Selection is a collection of Single Malts handpicked by Robert Scott, the former Master Blender at Speyside Distillers in Glasgow. All Single Malts and Grains in this collection are bottled at Cask Strength, are naturally coloured and not Chill-Filtered. The Dumbarton I am tasting today was distilled in 1986 and bottled in 2011. It matured in an Ex-Bourbon Hogshead and costs around 110 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: This was the first time I tasted a Scottish Single Grain Whisky and I think I was lucky with this 25 Year old Dumbarton! When the Distillery was still active, almost all of the production went into the Chivas Regal Blends. There were no official Distillery Bottlings and only a few Indies popped up from time to time. So I was really looking forward to Nose and Taste this Single Grain. In fact I was pleasantly surprised with the quality. If you would mix this mature Dumbarton with Good Malt Whisky you could create a wonderful Blend. But that's Daydreaming of course. Unfortunately I only had a sample so I couldn't test this idea. The Nose is the best part of this Dumbarton. You will find quite some similarities to Bourbon but it also adds some Aromas of its own. The Fresh Nectarine Note stands out. On the Palate there's a lot more Oak influence and the Alcohol is rather strong. Still, if all Grain Alcohol would smell and taste anywhere near this Dumbarton 25, I wouldn't complain so much about Blended Whiskies!

Jan van den Ende                                                         September 3, 2014