Yesterday we introduced a new format for reviewing particularly unusual whiskies: the tasting panel. The last time we met, we tasted five spirits. We’ve already written about two of them: Floki Young Malt and Willett XCF V 1.0. That leaves three more, and boy are these a notable trio.
The Sovereign is a series from Hunter Laing that highlights great Scotch whiskies. This series included three 50+ year old single grain single cask whiskies, each made during the early 1960s.
Grain distilleries, most located in the Scottish lowlands, don’t have quite the same cachet as the single malt distilleries of other regions. Yet these plants have been quietly cranking out millions of gallons of Scotch whisky distillate each year for decades or centuries, the vast majority of which is destined for blending. It’s a rare opportunity to get to taste three single grains, particularly when they’re so well-aged. Without further ado, here’s what we thought:
The Sovereign 1962 North British Distillery 52 Year Single Grain Scotch
Whisky
Vital stats: 40.8 ABV, 52 years old, distilled May 1962, bottled September 2014. Bottle number 84 of 155.
Tasting notes: “Rich, full, round, with strong malt noes in finish.” “Whiff of smoke with a bit of candied herring.” “Grain-forward yet nice depth of oak.” “Anise? Juniper? Cap’n Crunch Berries?” “Ready for the fireside.” “Sweet without being cloying.” “Sherry notes woven throughout layer nicely on palate.” “Almond croissant, old world marzipan.”
The Verdict: A crowd-pleaser. The lightest of the single grains we sampled, this one hit a lot of the right notes – nutty sherry, rich malt, and well-integrated oak. Surprisingly spritely on the palate for its advanced age.
The Sovereign 1964 Invergordon Distillery 50 Year Old Single Grain Scotch Whisky (K&L Exclusive)
Vital stats: 42.5% ABV, 50 years old, distilled November 1964, bottled November 2014. Bottle number 110 of 252.
Tasting notes: “Funky, footy, savory. Worn-out wood with moderate sweetness and an ashy finish.” “Medicinal on the nose, but the texture threw me completely: tannic and ashy.” “Instant maple-flavored oatmeal.” “Lush and decadent: spicy nose, toffee and lemon poppyseed cake in the palate, mint and pepper in the finish.” “Soft on the palate, but full of flavor. Excellent balance – pleasantly sweet, but carries some heat.” “Da best!”
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Verdict: A big split on this one. Half of us didn’t enjoy this at all, finding it tannic, ashy, and too funky to really enjoy. But the other half felt differently, describing it decadent and even soft, with all those big toffee-maple-confectionery notes we love in after-dinner whiskies. The only bottle we sampled that spurred a real schism.
The Sovereign 1964 Dumbarton Distillery 50 Year Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Vital Stats: 49.1% ABV, 50 years old, distilled December 1964, bottled May 2015. Bottle number 68 of 162.
Tasting notes: “Brown sugar, dark fruit, caramelized apples, and a faint savory/soy sauce note.” “Pleasant but disconnected, more enjoyable with subsequent sips.” “Hot on the nose and slightly medicinal; enjoyable but assertive. I want a little more depth.” “Saline and vegetal, with sweet fruit, vanilla, and peppercorn on the palate. Most interesting, but not a whole package – no coherent thread holding it all together.” “Grippy and tannic – water helps. Tastes like a bushel basket used for picking stonefruit.” “Disjointed. Beeswax in nose, trail mix in the palate.”
Verdict: This one provoked a lot of head-scratching. On the one hand, there was substantial complexity – fruit, dark sugars, salt, even some earthy vegetal notes. On the other, that complexity never quite found its way into harmony – every one of us made a note that expressed some variant of “disjointed.” Ultimately, a tasty puzzler.
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