Whisky: Caledonian 40 Year (1974), Diageo Special Release 2015

Country/Region: Scotland/Lowland Grain

ABV: 53.3%

Cask: Bourbon Hogsheads

Age: 40 Years (Distilled 1974, Bottled 2015)

Nose: Rich brown sugar and tobacco with an undercurrent of lacquered wood and polished antiques, honey, pistachio, and fried pastries stuffed with cream and cinnamon.

Palate: Medium-bodied, brown sugar, pastries, honey, oak, tannic and drying, polished wood, tobacco, oak moss, subtle leather and hints of bergamot.

Finish: Long and lingering with brown sugar, bergamot, and oak.

Score: 6+ (79)

Mental Image: Country Club Pro-Shop

Narrative & Notes: The aroma was rich and dignified, with lovely leafy tobacco running through layers of brown sugar, sticky buns, honey drizzles over pistachio cream stuffed pastries, and lacquered wood.  Polished antiques and oak frequently dominated, with hints of cinnamon and herbal tea in the background. Medium-bodied and tannic on the palate, the flavors were well-structured and rich.  Brown sugar buns and fried, honey-drenched pastries arrived first, with ample oak and polished wood close behind.  Tannic and drying, the flavors shifted subtly toward tobacco, leather, oak moss, and bergamot toward the end.  The finish was long and lingering with brown sugar, bergamot, and oak.

United Distillers closed the Lowland grain distillery Caledonian during its 1980s consolidation and restructuring.  The company, the forerunner to Diageo, shuttered several large grain distilleries, including North of Scotland, and centralized production at Cambus, which closed a few years later, and Cameronbridge, which continues to operate. This 2015 special release is one of the few official releases from the distillery, and even among independent bottlers, it is a relatively uncommon single grain.

I enjoyed the lovely tobacco notes that ran throughout the nose and palate.  The flavors were well-structured and rich, if not a bit simple and overly oaky at times. There were plenty of classic grain notes of pastries and cream, along with a big scoop of dark brown sugar. Grain whiskies typically lack a lot of depth, so you need them to perfectly hit the notes they can, or the whole thing can fall apart.

Overall, a little taste of history, a well-composed old grain, a good example of what you can expect from the category, and why it is sometimes worth seeking out.

Image Credit: The Whisky Exchange

About Caledonian

Caledonian began operations in 1855 and, in 1884, followed many of its grain-producing peers in joining Distillers Company Limited (which had been founded in 1877). The company (known as United Distillers at the time, now Diageo) closed the lowland grain distillery in 1988 during a period of consolidation and restructuring.  Between 1980 and 1993, the company shuttered several large grain distilleries, including North of Scotland and Caresebridge, and centralized production at Cambus, which closed a few years later. In the late nineties, the distillery campus was renovated and transformed into apartments.

Rare, even among independent bottlers.