Cambus 24 Year Old 1986 Bladnoch Forum

Single Grain can be really beautiful, we all know that. Therefore I collected a couple of samples to put next to each other. Let me start with this 24 Year Old from Cambus, a grain distillery in the Lowlands. It was founded in 1806 and is part of the Diageo consortium. This bottling was launched by and for the Bladnoch Forum.

The nose is quite sharp. Very alcoholic with unmistakable hints of superglue and wood. Vanilla, coconut and banana ice cream rectify the situation quickly. Hints of buttermilk. Not very complex, though. Adding water makes coconut stand out.

While creamy on the palate, that too is sharp and bitter, despite the best efforts by the honey and coconut to keep it sweet. Loads of oak and caramel. Hints of orange peel. It loses punch quickly when adding water and does not become better, so leave the aitch-2-oh.

The finish is somewhat zesty, but now the oak really starts to shout. Water softens up the whole.

Far from bad, to be sure, but a little to sharp to be really stunning. Reminds me a bit of a cheap bourbon, which may not be entirely fair. Around 55 EUR, which is actually dirt cheap, but not easy to get a hold of nowadays.