Girvan 2011/2022 Murray McDavid 11 years old Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%

Grain whisky is rarely treated as something that deserves a fine cask. Murray McDavid did the opposite and put an eleven year old Girvan into a Ximenez-Spinola PX cask, and suddenly the cereal is no longer the dull part of the equation.

The expert description

Girvan 2011/2022 Murray McDavid 11 Years Old is a Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky finished in a Ximenez-Spinola PX cask and bottled at 46%.

Girvan was built in 1963 by William Grant & Sons on the Ayrshire coast and is today one of the largest grain distilleries in Scotland. This release was distilled in 2011 and bottled in 2022 by Murray McDavid, who rank among the bottlers working most deliberately with wood.

The PX cask is the decisive part. Pedro Ximenez is the sweetest of the sherry styles, almost syrupy, and on a soft grain whisky it lays down a layer of dark fruit that a malt would have had to supply itself. The release yielded 1228 bottles, bottled without chill filtration and without colouring.

Tasting notes

Nose

Raisin and dark syrup first, then vanilla and coconut from the grain character, and a note of fig behind.

Palate

Soft and oily with dates, muscovado and dark chocolate. The cereal sweetness sits underneath and keeps it from turning heavy.

Finish

Medium and sweet with dried fruit, a touch of oak and a light spiced warmth.

Specifications

Name: Girvan 2011/2022 Murray McDavid 11 Years Old
Distillery: Girvan
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Lowland Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ximenez-Spinola PX cask
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 1228
Edition: Limited Release Select Grain
EAN no.: 5060353303642

Flavour profile

Sweet · Sherry matured · Creamy · Fruity · Spiced

Did you know?

Murray McDavid is based at the old Coleburn distillery near Elgin, which has been closed since 1985. The buildings are used today for warehousing and cask work, so a distillery that no longer distils has become the workplace of a bottler.

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Frequently asked questions about Girvan 2011/2022 Murray McDavid 11 Years Old

What is a Ximenez-Spinola PX cask?

A cask that has held Pedro Ximenez from the Ximenez-Spinola bodega in Jerez. PX is the sweetest style of sherry, almost syrupy, and the cask leaves raisin, dates and dark sweetness in the whisky.

What does it taste like?

Raisin and dark syrup on the nose with vanilla and coconut beneath, soft and oily on the palate with dates, muscovado and dark chocolate, and a medium sweet finish of dried fruit.

What is Single Grain Whisky?

Whisky from one distillery made with cereals other than malted barley alone and distilled in column stills. It is softer and sweeter than malt whisky and takes a heavy cask like this one well.

How many bottles exist?

1228. It is a limited release, but not a single cask bottling, so there are rather more than in the rarest Murray McDavid editions.

What kind of distillery is Girvan?

A large grain distillery on the Ayrshire coast, built in 1963 by William Grant & Sons. It supplies grain whisky for the house blends and has in recent years also had releases of its own.

Does a PX cask suit grain whisky?

Surprisingly well. Grain is soft and lightly sweet to begin with, and PX lays the dark fruit on top without meeting resistance from a heavy malt character. To compare with malt, see our Highland Whisky.

Should you add water?

Not necessarily. At 46% it is soft already, but a few drops can separate the sherry and the cereal sweetness more clearly. See our range of whisky glasses.