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Single Grain

"I wish I had a twenty pound note for each time I had been told in recent years how much someone enjoys a single grain" says Jim Murray, "The ones the connoisseurs die for are the older versions." Grain whisky is distilled in a column still from a variety of cereals like corn or wheat with a touch of malted barley for good measure. It's wood matured and, yes, it's classified as genuine whisky. Just like single malts, grain whiskies have their own style and signature. But because they've been almost entirely reserved for the blended whisky market, they've been much harder to find. It's only in the last decade that more and more single grain whiskies are being offered to flaunt the fact that they can be stunning in their own right - and some with prices as big as their age statements!
  • 1993 The Whisky Trail Strathclyde 29 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (700ml)
    1993 The Whisky Trail Strathclyde 29 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (700ml)
    Lowlands, SCOTLAND
    $260. 00
    Bottle
    $3120.00 Dozen
    ABV: 55.1%

    Strathclyde is not too far from Glasgow and was originally built to produce gin, but has since become an important producer of wheat-based grain whisky for large volume Scotch blends. Owned by Pernod Ricard, it's safe to assume a majority finds its way into Chivas Regal products. This single cask example has spent its entire 29 years in an x Bourbon barrel yielding 137 bottles. We'd imagine at near three decades this should be approaching its sweet spot, with some tasters confirming that it is indeed "...decadent and luxurious". 55.1 Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

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  • 1991 Watt Whisky North British 33 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (700ml)
    • Nick's Import
    1991 Watt Whisky North British 33 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (700ml)
    Lowlands, SCOTLAND
    $230. 00
    Bottle
    $2760.00 Dozen
    ABV: 46.4%

    Aged 33 years, Watt Whisky are offering another opportunity to grab a mature grain at a reasonable asking price. For the lucky few, just 66 bottles made it to market! An earlier bottling from Watts was described as "quite great" by whiskyfun.com. 46.4% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

    Notes from the bottlers... Golden syrup, eucalyptus, stem ginger, pear drops and citrus cheesecake.

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  • 1997 Watt Whisky Invergordon 26 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (700ml)
    • 92
    • Nick's Import
    1997 Watt Whisky Invergordon 26 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (700ml)
    Highlands, SCOTLAND
    $199. 99
    Bottle
    $2399.88 Dozen
    ABV: 52.3%

    A fine, medium-bodied, never-too-sweet Invergordon with an initially distinct milk chocolate character, leading into pecans, light creme caramel and hints of coffee grounds. 5-10 minutes breathing is required to coax out the flavours: Buckwheat pancakes, a flash of honey, vanilla cream and drier cocoa by the finish, the whole nicely framed by gentle tannins and sweet spices. 258 bottles were decanted from a single hogshead at 52.3% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

    Notes from the bottlers... Toffee apples, honeycomb, peaches & marzipan.

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  • 1965 Wu Dram Clan Invergordon 55 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (700ml)
    1965 Wu Dram Clan Invergordon 55 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (700ml)
    Highlands, SCOTLAND
    $1999. 00
    Bottle
    $23988.00 Dozen
    ABV: 40%

    An exceptionally old Invergordon bottled by Wu Dram Clan - three whisky fanatics who happened to meet on Islay and formed a lifelong friendship. The group consists of Takesado from Japan, Boris from Munich, and Sebastian from the Black Forest, Germany. Each of the founding members brings a unique skill set to the table and all adhere to the philosophy that what matters entirely is the content of the bottle. Single grain enthusiasts will already know Invergordon as one of the big names in the category. Established in 1960 and owned by Whyte & Mackay, it goes into a number of blends throughout Scotland. Aged for five and a half decades in an ex-Bourbon hogshead, this super-old single cask expression was distilled December 1965 and bottled June 2021 yielding 228 bottles at a natural strength of 40% abv. Grain whisky at this age can be an amazing experience - a fact that more and more whisky lovers are beginning to cotton on to. We have a tiny number of the original consignment allocated for Australia.

    Other reviews... This IS cask strength and most probably the oldest grain whisky ever bottled (ready to be proven wrong). These people are crazy. Colour: full gold. Nose: it needs to be said that the 1960s Invergordons do rule supreme over my 'grainy list' (which doesn't quite exist in real life but there). This is rather a kind of complex soup, with bits of artichoke, asparagus, leek or cauliflower, all that seasoned with whisky and triple-sec as well as a little miso and umami sauce. A little crushed overripe banana too, perhaps manioc, celeriac, parsnips… It's getting fractal, in fact, just wait and many tinier aromas will start to parade under your nostrils. Mouth: salty and slightly varnishy at first, with some bouillons, then rather on seasoned fruit juices. I was about to mention sweet guacamole. Perhaps not. Banana chutney, mango chutney, more bouillon… The body's obviously a notch thin(nish) but in no way does it become frustrating. Drops of banana wine, mullein syrup, woodruff syrup… Finish: short, naturally, but once again that isn't frustrating at all. Sweet teas, vanilla-ed rooibos, a tiny touch of liquorice wood, perhaps a few mirabelles… Once again a faint varnishy return in the aftertaste, which is typically 'grain whisky' in my book. Comments: I'll say it, I liked the Cameronbridge rather better, but I find it crazy that this imperilled masterpiece was still alive, and rather beautifully so. An ode to time. 89 points - whiskyfun.com

    Notes from the bottlers... Nose: Very bright and gentle. The generic coconut notes seem to have evaporated after all these years, here I find more ripe bananas, tinned pineapples and guavas, with marzipan and fresh citrus. Minty notes. Natural vanilla. Hints of cellulose varnish, nicely integrated. Hints of fragrant sandalwood and caramelized nuts. There’s a great rummy side to it as well. Palate: Lacking the thick, creamy side that you often get in grains, but not weak. Fresh citrus, dried ginger, still some pineapple notes. Pleasant sour notes which make it brighter. Hints of ‘pencil liqueur’ (let’s hope it doesn’t exist), which means you get an oaky touch but in a sweet and rounded way. Almonds and a hint of white pepper in the end. Finish: Surprisingly long, with bananas, nutmeg and a pinch of pepper. This is a surprisingly fresh senior, kind of a rum and grain mix-up. The underlying sweetness keeps the wood at bay and brings along a Caribbean character.

     

     

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  • 1974 Wu Dram Clan Cameronbridge 46 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (700ml)
    1974 Wu Dram Clan Cameronbridge 46 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (700ml)
    Lowlands, SCOTLAND
    $1399. 00
    Bottle
    $16788.00 Dozen
    ABV: 40.2%

    A second extremely old grain from the Wu Dram Clan has landed and is similarly limited. Reports from whiskyfun.com suggest this is seriously good, with more than enough body and personality to woo single malt drinkers. Yes, 40.2% is cask strength.

    Other reviews... This is well cask strength, mind you. Probably a little fragility in there… Colour: straw. Incredibly pale at 46. Nose: hold on. Who poured a few bottles of 1960s Bowmore into this hogshead? Where do these mangos and pink bananas come from? And the sunflower oil? The marzipan? The viognier? The white asparagus? The wee pineapples? The lilac and the wisteria? All this is extremely soft, perhaps a little fragile indeed, but just wonderful. In the old days, some absent-minded tasters may have described this one as 'being a little feminine'. Mouth: phew! No excessive tea-ness, no sawdust, rather these tropical fruits once again (just the same ones) and a sumptuous floralness. Zucchini flowers and honeysuckle, rose petals, proper Turkish delights, flower beignets… Almost a liquid miracle, how did this one survive this beautifully? Finish: sure it isn't very long, but what a wonderful herbal and floral freshness. Mango syrup in the aftertaste! Comments: one of the most floral whiskies I've ever tried, chamber whisky as in chamber music. An utter miracle. So, tell me, who did pour the old Bowmores while no one was watching? 91 points - whiskyfun.com

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  • Butterscotch & Vanilla & Toast & Generations 30 Year Old Blended Grain Scotch Whisky (700ml)
    Butterscotch & Vanilla & Toast & Generations 30 Year Old Blended Grain Scotch Whisky (700ml)
    SCOTLAND
    $129. 99
    Bottle
    $1559.88 Dozen
    ABV: 40%

    If you're a grain whisky fan, this may be new to you: Not a single grain, rather a blend of single grains, so the grain equivalent of a Blended Malt. As for the taste, we're told that the title speaks for itself. 40% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

    Notes from the bottlers... Nose: Honeycomb, red grapes, immensely buttery, Golden Grahams, a smidge of waxy orange peel, polished oak, and a touch of floral spring breeze. Palate: Thick with rich butterscotch, freshly baked cookies dotted with chocolate chunks, slightly peppery at points with a dry hint of toasted cedar. Finish: Waxy peels from the nose return, with layers of vanilla, cinnamon, gingerbread, and treacle for company.

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Single grain whiskies - more than just a background canvas for blends.

We love a good single grain whisky, but they're an unusual sight even on the shelves of passionate whisky retailers like ourselves. In Scotland the style can be produced from almost any type of grain, with the resulting whisky mostly used to stretch out blends. Not surprisingly, single grains are much maligned by malt snobs. Yet this underdog category is has its place. For whisky nerds or completionists, extra matured bottlings are well worth tasting. 30 or even 50 year old expressions can be surprisingly affordable. Older examples from Cameronbridge, Cambus and Girvan are all worth seeking out.

Making Single Grain Whisky.

Today there are seven grain distilleries operating in Scotland. They're large, functional, industrial style buildings with little of the colourful history and romance that attracts throngs of tourists to the charming Single Malt distilleries. The creation of single grain whiskies is broadly similar to that of malt whisky, only the raw materials and the equipment are different. The mash from which grain whisky is made uses unmalted cereals - usually wheat or maize, it doesn't matter which, so distilleries can buy at the best price - together with a small amount of 'green' malt (barley which has germinated but not been kilned). Usually about 16% of malt is added: it has to be there to convert the starches in the other cereals into sugar, so it can be turned into alcohol by the yeast. Tall column stills are used in place of copper pot stills, the former resulting in a light, clean and fruity spirit that works as a catalyst when blended, releasing the flavours of the malts.

Add first-fill Bourbon casks to the mix, and you have an elegant, semi-sweet whisky which can develop layers of flavour and sophistication as it ages. Nikka's Coffey grain is a great young example. At 30 or 40 years, these whiskies can deliver a unique experience bordering on hedonism: Complex and shifting bouquets matched by luxurious textures and sumptuous flavours falling somewhere between the finest gold Rums or Bourbons or the very, very best Irish. For almost any wood-aged spirit category (bar Armagnac) the price / age ratios are frequently astonishing.

Buy Single Grain Scotch Whisky Online.

While a wide selection is not readily available, Nicks Wine Merchants endeavour to stock at least a few examples of Single Grain Whisky which you can buy online and have delivered to most of Australia.