Whisky: Girvan 21 Year (2002), Douglas Laing for K&L

Country/Region: Scotland/Lowland Grain

ABV: 61.7%

Cask: Refill Hogshead

Age: 21 Years (Distilled Nov. 2002, Bottled March 2024)

Nose: Digestif biscuits, molasses cookies, cream, pastries, dry baking spice, cigar box, spirited prickle.

Palate: Medium-bodied, brown sugar, butter, citrus, black pepper, honey, caramelized sugars.

Finish: Medium-length and spirited, woody and drying with plenty of honey.

Score: 6 (78)

Mental Image: French Club Crêpe Sale

Narrative & Notes: Digestif biscuits and molasses cookies arrived right away with butter rolls and a pot of cream. Beyond the archetypical creaminess of a well-aged grain were dry baking spices with hints of nutmeg, cinnamon, tobacco leaf, and old cigar boxes. A touch spicy at times, with a spirited prickle to clean the sinuses— a hint of the potential flammability of the dram. Medium-bodied with plenty of brown sugar and butter melting to caramelize in a hot pan.  Hints of citrus rind lingered with black pepper and a drizzle of sweet honey— a bit like making a basic, but deliciously simple crêpe. The finish saw a return of some spirited prickle, but was otherwise woody and drying with a big dollop of sweet honey.

Standard fare for a well-aged single grain, this had the sweet, creamy elements I expected to find.  The aroma and finish featured a bit of spirited prickle, enough to let you know this whisky had maintained its liveliness after two decades in the cask. Despite the spicy aroma, the flavor profile was balanced with plenty of big buttery, sugary, honey character, but no scorching heat— the alcohol was remarkably well-integrated.

Overall, good stuff— the ceiling on single grain whiskies just is not that high; the flavors are rarely deep or complex, and typically fall on the sweeter end of the spectrum. I did not think this needed much water, despite the high abv. I found a few drops cooled it off, but anything more than that washed out the flavors to a shocking extent.

Image Credit: Velier