Review by: zSolaris
Distillery: Girvan.
Bottler: The Whisky Exchange.
Region: Lowland.
Age: 30 Year. Distilled on December 17th, 1989 and bottled on September 9th, 2020.
ABV: 51.8%.
Cask Type: Hogshead.
Cask Number: 167856
Color: 1.2, Chestnut/Oloroso Sherry.
Nose: Wood varnish and leather polish are the main notes here. There’s a touch of ethanol that wafts in and out as well.
Palate: It’s incredibly creamy, might even be the creamiest whisky I’ve had. There’s so much of it that it reminds me of vanilla buttercream more than anything. There’s a strong wood note that accompanies it, it isn’t oak but something a little more aromatic. Pine is what comes to mind most. Water doesn’t seem to do much to do it other than break up the cream a touch.
Finish: Fairly long in length. The wood varnish and leather polish come roaring back. A bit of oak spice wraps things up.
Conclusion: I’ve been dabbling with older grains here and there as I’ve heard that they can be incredibly good. I’ve yet to come across one that has really blown my mind, but they always seem to be interesting at the very least. This one is a slightly strange combination of notes. The nose and finish are full of earthier notes of wood varnish and leather polish. The palate, however, has none of it. This might just be the creamiest whisky I’ve had with a rich vanilla buttercream dominating proceedings. The bit of pine that comes along helps keep it from becoming too overbearing as well. It does feel a tad disjointed though, the juxtaposition of these earthier tones with cream doesn’t quite seem to get along. Still, it was a nice one to try and the creaminess will live long in the memory. Would I buy a bottle? Only 98 were produced, but even if it were available, I’d probably pass.
Final Score: 77.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 
