Cambus 1988 The Clan Denny 25 year old Single Grain Whisky 58,1%

Cambus was for decades the quiet supplier nobody wrote about. The distillery closed in 1993, and only afterwards did people realise how good that old grain spirit had become with time.

Expert description

Cambus 1988 The Clan Denny 25 Years is a Single Grain Scotch Whisky from a Refill Hogshead, bottled at cask strength, 58.1%.

Clan Denny is Douglas Laing's series of single cask grain whiskies, and grain is a category the house has worked with extensively. The whisky was distilled in 1988, five years before Cambus closed, and spent 25 years in a quiet refill cask.

A refill cask does not dominate the spirit but lets the natural sweetness of the grain and its developed depth come through. At cask strength all the concentrated aromas from both grain and wood are preserved.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla and cream caramel with light coconut, ripe pear and a soft, creamy sweetness. A trace of fresh oak and light spice sits underneath.

Palate

Full and rounded with toffee, vanilla pod, honey and citrus oil, carried by a grainy elegance.

Finish

Long, warm and silky with fudge, light spice and a pleasant dryness from the hogshead.

Specifications

Name: Cambus 1988 The Clan Denny 25 Years Single Grain Whisky 58.1%
Distillery: Cambus
Bottler: Clan Denny
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Age: 25 years
ABV: 58,1%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill Hogshead
Distilled: 1988
EAN no.: 5014218795585

Flavour profile

Creamy · Vanilla · Sweet · Powerful · Mature

Investment potential

High. Cambus is closed and today functions only as a cooperage, the vintage comes from its final operating years, and single cask bottlings from the distillery are becoming harder to find.

Did you know?

Cambus was one of the distilleries that combined in 1877 to form the Distillers Company Limited, the forerunner of what is today Diageo. The distillery itself closed in 1993.

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Frequently asked questions about Cambus 1988 The Clan Denny 25 Years Single Grain Whisky 58.1%

Why mature grain whisky for 25 years?

Because it changes markedly. Young grain whisky is light and neutral, but after two or three decades it develops vanilla, coconut and fudge and a velvet texture few single malts can match.

What is Clan Denny?

Douglas Laing's series of single cask bottlings, mainly of grain whisky from older and often closed distilleries. See more independent series under Independent Whisky Bottlers.

Is it worth the money?

Twenty-five years in cask from a closed distillery, bottled from a single cask at cask strength. It is the unavailability of the source that carries the bottle.

How does grain whisky differ from single malt?

Grain is typically made from wheat or maize and distilled continuously in a column still, which gives a lighter and cleaner spirit. Single malt is made from malted barley in pot stills.

Should water go in?

At 58.1% there is room for a little. Start with three or four drops — grain whisky reacts quickly to water and thins out fast if you overdo it.

What is left of Cambus today?

The site is used as a cooperage, where casks are repaired and prepared. Nothing is distilled there any more.