Cambus 29yo 1991

Cambus 29yo 1991

Exceptional Casks, Berry Bros & Rudd

Single grain - Lowlands
Light amber
49.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Milk chocolate, malted grains, raisins, caramel, vanilla, hints of desiccated coconut. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Milk chocolate, black tea, vanilla, raisins, sea salt, butterscotch, hints of desiccated coconut. 
Finish: Long. Desiccated coconut, butterscotch, sea salt, raisins, hints of peanut butter. 

Comments: 

Cask 103023. Lots of sweet grain, long aging creates this deep chocolatey note. Love the butterscotch as well. Very pleasant indeed. Don’t see Cambus very often any more.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cambus 32yo 1989/2021 Cask Sample

Cambus 32yo 1989/2022

Caskshare
Single grain - Lowlands
Dark gold
Around 45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, sandalwood, cedar, pears, fresh cut grass, popcorn, salted caramel. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Popcorn, salted caramel, lemon zest, cream, vanilla, cedar, butter, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, vanilla, cream, butter, sea salt, hints of salted caramel. 

Comments: 

Cask 41752. Buttery old grain, utterly delicious and comfortingly straightforward. Heaps of popcorn and salted caramel, just the type of grain whisky I like. Yummy.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cambus 35yo (bottled 2018)

Cambus 35yo (bottled 2018)

Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single grain - Lowlands

Pink gold

51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, cornflakes, coconut jam, vanilla ice cream, pandan, hints of oats. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting: Sweet salty. Cornflakes, coconut jam, sea salt, oats, pandan, vanilla ice cream, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Sea salt, cornflakes, oats, vanilla ice cream. 

Comments: 

Cask DL12331. Savoury, yet sweet old grain whisky. There’s a herbal scent to it that I identify as pandan leaf, and it transforms the whisky into something quite delicious. Well balanced and highly enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cambus 26yo 1993/2019

Cambus 26yo 1993/2019

Single Cask, James Eadie
Single grain - Lowlands
Chinese tea
55.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, honey, raisins, marzipan, salt caramel, cloves. With water, candied orange peel, desiccated coconut, hints of sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Black tea, raisins, cloves, candied orange peel, dark chocolate, sea salt. With water, salt caramel, desiccated coconut, raisins, vanilla.  
Finish: Long. Black tea, candied orange peel, dark chocolate, leather, raisins. 

Comments: 

Cask 48094. Old grain whisky, always quietly impressive. At cask strength the grain notes aren’t very noticeable, plenty of chocolate and salt and fruit. With water the cask influence fades a little, and the vanilla and coconut notes from the grain spirit start to appear. This is delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cambus 25yo 1991/2017

Cambus 25yo 1991/2017

Berry Bros & Rudd
Single grain - Lowlands
Dark gold
57.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, kiwi fruit, honey, white grapes, hints of cloves, hints of cinnamon. With water, green tea, sandalwood, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, oily, warm, sticky. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Peaches, white grapes, vanilla, cinnamon, honey, dried apples, hints of cloves. With water, vanilla, tutti frutti, lemon zest, peaches. 
Finish: Short. White grapes, peaches, brown paper, lemon zest, hints of chillies. 

Comments: 

Cask 061971, a special bottling by Berry Bros & Rudd - I don't often see these around. The age has mellowed and blunted the sharp spicy edge of the grain spirit. What's left is sweet, gentle spice, plenty of fruit, but I woke it up again with a little water. This unlocked floral and white fruit flavours.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS G8.4 (Cambus 25 yo 1989/2014)

SMWS G8.4 (Cambus 25 yo 1989/2014)

2015, SMWS
Single grain - Lowlands
Pale gold
59.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, blueberries, honey, lemon juice, pear drops, hints of cream. With water, tart, more lemon juice, quince.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slick, slightly watery around the edges, thickens.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Vanilla, cream, peaches, papaya, blueberries, hints of pineapples. With water, pear drops, lemon juice, more sour.
Finish: Long. Pineapples, blueberries, honey, lemon zest.

Comments:

Not your usual grain whisky. This is not so much sweet as teetering on the edge between sour and sweet. A little water tips it over. Lots of fruit (as you'd expect from grain whisky), and quite complex and strong. Good stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS G8.1 (Cambus 1989/2011 21 yo)

SMWS G8.1 (Cambus 1989/2011 21 yo)

2011, SMWS
Single grain - Lowlands
Straw
51.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pine, vanilla, strawberries, lychees, hints of cherries.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, sticky, tingly, hot.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Pine, strawberries, raisins, melons, hay, hints of freshly mown grass.
Finish: Long. Bitter, black tea, pine, melons, strawberries.

Comments:

Starts promisingly, with a nice barrage of sweet fragrant fruit. First surprise - it's quite heavy! Pleasant on the tongue too, with vegetal grassy notes and pine coming to the fore. But the finish is bitter and tough, obscures the nice fruity flavours. Shame.

Verdict:

Not bad.