Cambus

42 Year old single grain

Aged for a generous 42 years, this gorgeous single grain whiskey is typical of the Cambus distillery, highly regarded by blenders for its mild and mellow nature. Good corn oil and honeyed sweetness on the nose gives way to delicate oak, balanced with big spices at the forefront on the palate. A touch of bitterness is offset by rich sweetness.

Cask Number: 70076

Vintage: 1976

Strength: 57.6%

Region: Lowlands

Bottled Year: 2019

Bottles: 138

Classic for the distillery, showing good corn oil and accompanying acacia honey sweetness; the oak offers a delicate Canadian touch.
Stunning texture: a rare grain that appears both firm and yielding at the same moment. Also, exceptional crispness to the maple syrup sweetness. Big spices up front balance things beautifully.
Begins to show a little age here with a vague bitterness apparent. But the tannins hold their own, as do the remedial sugars.
An impressive example of what then was arguably the finest grain distillery in Scotland. The structure is sound and the Canadian style of whiskey is exactly what should be expected of a fine corn Cambus of this age. There is a slightly nagging bitterness caused by the tiring oak, but the inherent sweetness controls this well. The sugar-spice balance is pretty near perfection. Has the odd fault, but the complexity of the sweet riches outweigh those slightly bitter failings.

Reviews

“Oh, excellent! Really excellent!”

Serge Valentin, WhiskyFun (89 points)

“My rationale is often that it’s not about the age (even though that is impressive in and of itself), it’s more that it is an amazing showcase for an underrated style of whisky.”

The Whiskey Reviewer, Kurt Maitland’s ‘Best New Whiskey’ 2019

Region: Lowlands

This whisky distilling region encompasses the rolling hills and fertile farmlands of southern Scotland, with a northernmost boundary line that lies roughly along the site on which Roman Emperor Hadrian chose to build his wall in AD 122. The malts that are produced in the distilleries south of this line tend towards being light in colour, with mellow fruitiness, and a dry finish as a result of the predominant use of unpeated malt. The region is also home to some closed distilleries, such as Rosebank, whose spirit is now highly prized, as supplies dwindle. The produce of this region is mainly destined for blends, with five out of seven operating grain distilleries found in this region.

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Distillery: CAMBUS

It is a little-known fact that Cambus distillery began its life distilling malt whisky – in a disused mill on the banks of the Deveron in Alloa, before the Moubray family had the foresight in 1836 to install two Stein patent stills. The switch to grain whisky was the prelude to a century as one of the largest and most esteemed grain whisky distillers in Scotland. Highly regarded by blenders, the spirit of Cambus also emerged into the spotlight as a single grain product, and ‘Cambus Pure Grain Whisky’, aged for seven years, played a starring role in DCL’s campaign to sway public opinion in favour of allowing grain spirit to use the name ‘whisky’. Grain whisky won the fight, and the produce of Cambus remains a firm favourite among independent bottlers. However, supplies are dwindling – the distillery closed its doors in 1993, and only a handful of casks remain.