North British 43yo 1982/2025

North British 43yo 1982/2025

Soho Selection, Milroy’s of Soho
Single grain - Lowlands
Dark copper
52.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, raisins, golden syrup, nutmeg, vanilla, cream, brown paper, cola nuts. With water, cream, cola nuts, cough syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Raisins, cream, cough mixture, brown paper, cola nuts, milk chocolate, vanilla. With water, vanilla, coconut cream, raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Vanilla, brown paper, raisins, cream. 

Comments: 

Cask 25537. Lots of sweet sticky notes, creamy and milky (but not lactic!). Water brings out a note of coconut cream, and accentuates the chocolate. Lovely old grain whisky

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

North British 30yo 1992/2022

North British 30yo 1992/2022

Fruitful Spirits
Single grain - Lowlands
Bright gold
42.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear drops, raisins, orange peel, peaches, photocopy paper, oatmeal, balsamic vinegar. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Desiccated coconut, oatmeal, orange peel, pear drops, kiwifruit, hints of lemon zest. 
Finish: Short. Oatmeal, vanilla, peaches, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Barrel 67633. Estery stuff, this - lots of fruity, lightly sweet notes, with some cereally complexity behind it. It’s still bright and light, even after 30 years.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

North British 30yo 1992/2022

North British 30yo 1992/2022

Thompson Brothers
Single grains - Lowlands
Pale gold 
43.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oatcakes, vanilla, honey, sea salt, molasses, cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Vanilla, orange peel, cinnamon, honey, oatcakes, cornflakes, sea salt, hints of brown paper. 
Finish: Long. Cinnamon, coffee, cornflakes, vanilla, honey. 

Comments: 

Delicious old grain from Phil and Simon Thompson. It’s if salty sweetness, but bitter and complex, like fruity old molasses. Great complexity and spice.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

North British 20yo 1994/2015

North British 20yo 1994/2015

Single Cask, Master of Malt
Single grain - Lowlands
Silver gold 
51.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lavender, oats, bananas, vanilla ice cream, toffee, hints of apple juice.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, cool, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Oats, cornflakes, white grapes, bananas, toffee, vanilla ice cream, hints of popcorn. 
Finish: Medium. Popcorn, toffee, white chocolate, hints of lavender.  

Comments: 

Not quite old enough, but pleasant for all that. This single grain is rather cereally and sweet, lots of corn notes alongside some floral top notes. I like my grain whisky older, but this was very drinkable. 

Verdict:

I like this.

North British 55yo 1962/2018

North British 55yo 1962/2018

Extra Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single grain - Lowlands
Amber
45.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, shortbread, raisins, caramel, toffee apples, hints of sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, loose, warms slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Shortbread, ink, chocolate, leather, toffee, raisins, hints of desiccated coconut. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, raisins, pear drops, shortbread. 

Comments: 

Cask DL12398. "What's the oldest whisky you've ever had?" Well, something distilled in the 1930s, but it was bottled way before it reached 55 years old. This was something special. It's grain, so it's got fewer layers than malt, but what there is, is magnificent. I loved the slightly bitter, even metallic notes on the tongue alongside the lighter coconut and toffee flavours..

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

North British 22yo 1995/2018

North British 22yo 1995/2018

Celebration of the Cask, Carn Mor
Single grain - Lowlands
Dark amber
57% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, cinnamon, nutmeg, red grapes, fresh baked bread, black pepper. With water, fresh baked bread, fried eggs, toast. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, oily, slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, red grapes, vanilla, custard, chocolate, hints of fried eggs. With water, red grapes, honey, fried eggs. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, fried eggs, custard, red grapes. 

Comments: 

Cask 51762. Decadent, thick, oily, and heavy stuff. It's sweet and unctuous, spicy on the nose, but gentle on the tongue. Water opens it up and brings a pleasant egginess, the sulphur is quite gentle. Delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS G1.15 (North British 25yo 1991/2017)

SMWS G1.15 (North British 25yo 1991/2017)

2017, SMWS
Single grain - Lowlands
Bright gold
63.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, cloves, bananas, fresh baked bread, vanilla, hints of chocolate. With water, white pepper, more chocolate, more vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Chocolate, blueberries, honey, cloves, bananas, vanilla. With water, white pepper, fresh baked bread, more chocolate. 
Finish: Short. Chillies, chocolate, orange peel, honey. 

Comments: 

The quality of SMWS malt bottlings has been rather static, perhaps even declined, over the decade or so that I've been a member. The single grains however have remained consistently amazing over that time period. This is another hit, loaded with fruit and chocolate, redolent with cloves and vanilla. I feel a bit silly now that I recall how I shunned grain whisky as somehow inferior, back in the day.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS G1.13 (North British 36 yo 1978/2015)

SMWS G1.13 (North British 36 yo 1978/2015)

2015, SMWS
Single grain - Lowlands
Buttercups
56.2% ABV
Dram

Nose:  Cream, vanilla, lemon peel, orange zest, candied figs, hints of coffee. With water, dates, salt caramel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, sticky, syrupy. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Lemon zest, chocolate, red grapes, vanilla, coffee, hints of toast. With water, saltier, dates, salt caramel, hints of cornflakes. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, chocolate, cinnamon, toast. 

Comments: 

Grain whisky is the best value drink for money in the whisky world at the moment, I think. Aged single grains don't seem to be popular. More for me. This one wears its age lightly, and is chockful of fruity notes neat. With water, it opens up beautifully, with savoury sweet notes.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS G1.4 (North British 30 yo 1978/2009)

SMWS G1.4 (North British 30 yo 1978/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single grain - Lowlands
Pink gold
53% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, banana, butterscotch, coca cola, vanilla, orange juice, marshmallows.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, turns to egg white consistency.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Oranges, lemons toffee, banana, coca cola, cinnamon, hints of marshmallows. With water, turns salty, briny, hints of seaweed.
Finish: Long. Lemons, brown paper, marshmallows, coca cola.

Comments:

Pleasantly tangy, with a rounded softness that I've come to associate with grain whisky. Water brings out something unusual, quite salty and heavy on the tongue.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

North British 13 yo 1990/2003

North British 13 yo 1990/2003

Adelphi Selection, Adelphi
Single grain - Lowlands
Green gold
63.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, brown paper, raisins, marmalade, pears, magic marker, hints of orange juice. With water, orange juice, apple juice, pears.
Mouthfeel: Light body, oily, tingly, hot.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Sea salt, brown paper, pears, marmalade, magic marker, hints of honey, hints of peaches. With water, sweeter, apple juice.
Finish: Long. Pears, magic marker, marmalade.

Comments:

Cask #52640, 189 bottles. Very strong, but surprisingly drinkable. Doesn't taste like grain whisky at all, more like a sherry matured single malt.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS G1.5 (North British 24 yo 1984/2009)

SMWS G1.5 (North British 24 yo 1984/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single grain - Lowlands
Brown gold
60.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, cornflakes, corn syrup, honey, sweet yoghurt, hints of cough mixture. With water, coconut and apples appear.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, astringent.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Cornflakes, banana, honey, brown paper, vanilla, corn syrup, hints of prunes. With water, coconut, salt caramel.
Finish: Long. Brown paper, banana, vanilla, honey.

Comments:

An excellent grain whisky, reminds me of the very best bourbon. This grain whisky stuff is pretty good, I must drink more of it.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.