Independent bottler, Douglas Laing’s Old Particular line is comprised of single malt and single grain whiskies from all over Scotland. These are all single cask, as the distiller intended, expressions. This means the limited number of bottles available for each release are non-chill filtered, no colour added and bottled at cask strength. This make these whiskies very sought after by hardcore whisky drinkers and enthusiasts.
Cameronbridge is a grain whisky distillery founded in 1824 by the Haig family. It is located on the banks of the River Leven, just north of Edinburgh. Although it was founded in 1824, illicit distilling was said to have taken place at Cameronbridge as far back as 1655. Which would make it one of the oldest continuously running distilleries in Scotland and possibly the oldest grain distillery in the world.
Cameronbridge, now owned by Diageo, is a massive distillery with 3 wash stills and 3 spirit stills running 24 hours a day. Producing all of Diageo’s grain spirits it is said that Cameronbridge clocks 136 million liters of spirit each year. Almost all this spirit goes into Diageo’s portfolio including Johnnie Walker, Bell’s, Smirnoff Vodka, Tanqueray and Gordon’s Gin. There are a few distillery releases such as ‘Cameron Brig’ and ‘Haig Grain’ whiskies, but very few expressions that are readily available to the consumer.
Old Particular Cameronbridge 26-year-old is bottled at 51.5% ABV.
Nose: Maple fudge, citrus, dry driftwood and spices
Palate: Maple syrup, honey, wood spices, hints of chocolate in the background.
Finish: Long and lingering, dry and chalky, honey and spice.
I love trying rare or hard to find whiskies from lesser known distilleries. This 26-year-old single grain does not disappoint, and I felt very fortunate to get the chance to sample and review it. If you see this one on the shelf, I highly recommend adding it to your collection.
Slainte!