Greign 20 Years Single Grain Whisky
Have you come across Greign 20 in your whisky shopping? Perhaps you've wondered about the incredibly low price for a 20-year-old whisky. The thing is, Greign 20 costs no more than an average whisky around 10-12 years old, yet it's significantly older.
Part of the explanation lies in the fact that it is a Single Grain whisky and not a Single Malt whisky. The in-depth difference between these two types of whisky can be found in a dedicated article on this blog, but in short, Single Grain whisky is cheaper to produce than Single Malt whisky.
Greign 20 comes from John Dewar & Sons, owned by Bacardi. John Dewar & Sons are the people behind recognized brands such as Aberfeldy, AultmoreCraigallachie, Macduff and Royal Brackla. It is not specified which one of these distilleries is behind Greign 20, but perhaps the discerning whisky connoisseur can taste for themselves.
Greign 20 is barrel-aged in a mixture of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks and is bottled at 40% alcohol. It is probably also cold filtered, which is not uncommon for a 40% alcohol whisky.
The nose is gentle and inviting, offering notes of honey, raisins, old wood, fresh sawdust and a hint of ripe morels. Quite a delicious scent that gives hints of a mature whisky.
The palette is fairly complex, with notes of green apples, fresh vanilla pod, milk chocolate, mint and a spicy hint of rye. The whisky is incredibly oily and viscous, giving a rich and pleasant sensation on the palate.
The finish is where the age of the whisky really shines, with notes of cocoa, light freshly baked bread, vanilla and apricot. The latter two notes of vanilla and apricot linger long after swallowing, along with a note of old wood as the nose promised.
Greign 20 is a very reasonable and tasty dram that will appeal to those who are curious about what an older whisky can do without costing a fortune. I would also say that Greign 20 is still a good glass, regardless of the price. However, a slightly more loose version without cold filtration and a slightly higher cask strength would be the icing on the cake.
