Girvan Patent Still 25 år Single Grain Scotch Whisky 42%

In 1963 William Grant & Sons found themselves without access to grain whisky and built their own distillery in nine months. Girvan is the result, and these twenty-five years are what happens when you leave that plant to get on with it for long enough.

The expert description

Girvan Patent Still 25 Years Old is a Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon casks with some sherry wood and virgin oak, bottled at 42%.

The distillery was raised in 1963 on the Ayrshire coast in answer to a trade dispute with the large blending houses of the day, and it has supplied the backbone of the William Grant blends ever since. The Patent Still range was the first serious attempt by the house to sell grain whisky under its own name, and the twenty-five year old opened the series.

The composition is a marriage of whisky from 1st fill and refill bourbon casks with a smaller share from sherry wood and virgin oak. The bourbon casks carry the creamy vanilla character, while the others lay darker fruit and spice underneath. The 42% is pitched low enough to let the texture do the carrying.

Tasting notes

Nose

Masses of buttery vanilla, fresh apple and cinnamon stick, with dark peel and chocolate pralines behind.

Palate

Creamy and unctuous with white chocolate, citrus and lime, chewy caramels and pineapple, while soft American oak sits underneath.

Finish

Vanilla, ground cinnamon and a final cool note of mint.

Specifications

Name: Girvan Patent Still 25 Years Old
Distillery: Girvan
Region/Country: Lowland Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Age: 25 years
ABV: 42%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill and refill bourbon casks with sherry wood and virgin oak
Edition: Patent Still
EAN no.: 5010327445038

Flavour profile

Creamy · Vanilla · Fruity · Sweet · Mature

Investment potential

Medium. Twenty-five year old single grain with an age statement from an official distillery has become noticeably harder to find as the old grain stocks have been drawn down. The Patent Still range was also the first of its kind from the house, which gives it a place in the record.

Did you know?

Inside the Girvan complex also stood the malt distillery Ladyburn, which ran only from 1966 to 1975 and is today one of the most sought after silent addresses in Scotland. On the same ground Ailsa Bay opened in 2007, so the site holds both a closed and a new malt distillery alongside the grain plant.

See our full range of Girvan

Frequently asked questions about Girvan Patent Still 25 Years Old

Is a twenty-five year old single grain worth chasing?

Old grain stocks have been drawn down sharply in recent years, so age stated official releases at this level have become scarcer. On top of that, grain whisky at precisely this age develops the creamy coconut and vanilla character that is its own, and no malt will give you that.

What does it taste like?

Buttery vanilla, apple and cinnamon on the nose with chocolate pralines behind, creamy and unctuous on the palate with white chocolate, citrus and pineapple, and a finish of vanilla, cinnamon and a cool touch of mint.

What does Patent Still mean?

It is the older term for the column still that grain whisky is distilled in, invented by Aeneas Coffey in the 1830s. The name of the range therefore points straight at the technique that separates grain from malt.

Why only 42%?

Because the texture is what carries here. A higher strength would have given more sharpness and less of the creamy fullness that is the entire point of well-aged grain whisky.

What is the difference between grain and malt?

Malt whisky is made purely from malted barley in pot stills, while grain whisky uses other cereals and is distilled continuously in column stills. Grain comes out softer and sweeter and tolerates many years in wood without turning woody. See our Highland Whisky for comparison.

Which casks is it matured in?

Mainly 1st fill and refill bourbon casks, with a smaller share from sherry wood and virgin oak. The bourbon casks carry the vanilla, while the others lay darker fruit and spice underneath.

How is it best served?

Neat and at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass. At 42% it is soft already, and both ice and water take away from the creamy texture. See our range of whisky glasses.