Caledonian 35 Years Old 1979 G3.8 Eccentric and exotic (53.9%, SMWS, Refill Bourbon HH, 198 Bottles, 2014)

• Single grain scotch whisky
• 53.9% ABV, £108 buy from SMWS
• Score: 85/100

What they say:

Cask No. G3.8

The panel found eucalyptus, earth, perfumed tobacco and hessian. Aromas of ripe nectarine and peach soaked in orange liqueur mingled with coriander. The flavours found were of figs rolls, dates and honey on a toasted crumpet with more damp sackcloth and a curious hint of celery. Water yielded more curiosities of hot dogs with tomato sauce, Benedictine liqueur and sauerkraut. The aromas of linen sheets fresh from the tumble drier had the panel raising collective eyebrows. The mouthfeel was rich with coffee and Fishermans Friends with a lick of balsa wood to disarm you completely. Very unusual and spectacularly different.

Drinking Tip – For discussion and debate

Date Distilled: 28 May 1979 Colour: Tarnished gold Age: 35 years Flavour : Old & dignified Cask Type: Refill Hogshead Whisky Region: Grain 

Outturn: 198 bottles

What I say:

Dram #1 from SMWS The Vaults New List Steak & Chips Tasting held by Ryan McCafferty on 3rd February 2015. Tasted blind but later learned that this was actually a single grain whisky (which no one guessed) from the now extinct Caledonian distillery here in Edinburgh (SMWS distillery #G3)

Colour:

Light gold (9/20), medium tears

Nose:

Light and floral, lemon citrus, cereal barley, fruity, pear drops (esters/ethyl acetate), banana (ketones/isoamyl acetate), pineapple (ethyl butyrate), icing sugar, vanilla and caramel fudge, light cereal flour, a little estery and solventy. With water less vanilla was present on the nose and becomes more herbal, thyme, sandalwood and floral

Taste:

Light, delicate, sweet, butterscotch, fudge, toffee, lemon, citrus, lime – but foam or creamy (not sharp citric), beeswax, sandalwood, a little spiced cinnamon and white pepper as the sweet flavours thin towards the end. With water becomes smoother, less fruity and more fudge rich sugars and caramel

Finish:

Short-medium length, caramel and toffee oak persist, with water a sweeter icing sugar finish is revealed

Overall:

A very enjoyable old Grain whisky from a closed distillery to start meant we were really being spoiled with this tasting. The most enjoyable part of this reveal was that not a single taster guessed this was an old Grain – most had it as a 20+ Year Old Speyside or even Lowland whisky