Hunter Laing Cameronbridge Tasting Notes

Hunter Laing Sovereign Grain Cameronbridge 1990 (23 year old) 59.2%

Bourbon/ Code: SOV2000/ Dist: Jun 1990 Btl: July 2013/ Tasted: Aug 2013

Intense, oily aromas of rum-like dried fruit, toasted caramel, demerara sugar and a touch of coconut. Lovely depth with hints of sweet smoked bacon. With time the aromas become quite sweet but the grainy spices balance.

A lovely, gentle palate of oily cereal, rum-like dried fruit and earth with hints of coconut, banana and apricot. There’s a delightful burst of juicy spices on the middle to get the mouth salivating but the alcohol masks the finish somewhat although some sweet vanillins are evident.

Dilution just softens the nose, reducing the intensity, however on the palate it emphasises the sugars and lengthens. Very long now with a lightly oiled, toasted vanilla finish.

 

Duncan Taylor Cameronbridge Tasting Notes

Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Cameronbridge 1979 (30 year old) 57.2%

Cask 3586/ Dist: 1979 Btl: 2009/ Tasted: June 2009

A lovely, deep, earthy nose of almost peaty manure followed by mature honey and crisp bourbon notes. The oak builds in intensity as does the sumptuous honey. Wood spices start flying and it’s all topped off by a delightful violet top note. Damn it’s stunning, there are layers of honey to die for here! 

Quite oily initially, there is an explosion of wood tannins and alcohol. Once the palate has adjusted the complexity of flavours that remain are marvellous. There’s vanilla oak, spices by the bucketful, rich fruit, mature honey, coffee and liquorice. The grain bites nicely and there is a distinct vodka-like spirit finish, accompanied by dry, unsugared Turkish delight. Excellent length. Mature yet kicking! 

A drop of water brings out oodles of wood notes – coffee, liquorice, spices, a touch of toffee and burnt toast from the charring. Yet it is not one dimension, the glorious orange fruit lurks in the background. On the palate it softens and sweetens, again bringing out the charring and offsetting the alcohol. It certainly has become more vodka-like with a lovely floral note appearing. It lengthens and adds a breath taking (not too sweet) cream soda finish.

Douglas Laing Cameronbridge Tasting Notes

Douglas Laing ‘The Clan Denny’ Cameronbridge 1990 (21 year old) 58.2%

Bourbon/ Code: DEN0076/ Dist: Jun 1990 Btl: Sept 2011/ Tasted: Sept 2011

A very grainy and youthful nose with no shortage of alcohol, grated citrus rind, a touch of apricot, barley, candyfloss and subtle toffee’d oak, which builds with time.

The palate is quite sweet and sugary as well as being pretty oily. A distinct apricots/ peaches soaked in syrup character. However the crisp grain and alcohol wade in on the middle, cleansing the palate but it does shorten the finish somewhat. In saying that it has a wonderful intensity and displays a slight spice note in the finish.

Water has a tendency to mute the nose and palate, emphasising the heavy oils and the oak blankets with a distinct toffee character.

Douglas Laing ‘The Clan Denny’ Cameronbridge 1974 (38 year old) 52.4%

Bourbon/ Code: DEN0102/ Dist: July 1974 Btl: Mar 2013/ Tasted: Apr 2013

Sublimely deep and fragrant nose of dark honey coated rum like dried fruit and  mature oak. Quite oily with the oak becoming quite sawdusty. A beautiful, evolving nose, now showing beeswax coated orange peel and gentle, warm, crumbly spices. Superbly balanced with a late hint of smoke, cigar ash and earth.

A silky smooth, luscious palate, opening with the light treacle coated raisins and sultanas abetted by some smoked citrus notes. The depth of this whisky is breath-taking with dark honey, lightly molassedrum notes, sugar sprinkled barley and the most lithe, juice and spicy grain notes imaginable. The citrus notes provide a counter balance to the treacle sweetness and the spirit progresses into a cleansing citrus finish with late hints of tobacco, leather and cigar smoke. Stunning stuff!

 

---

Douglas Laing Old Particular Cameronbridge 1991 (24 year old) 51.5%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0315/ DL11225

Dist: Oct 1991 Btl: Apr 2016/ Tasted: June 2016

Quite shy to begin with on the nose with barley sugar and hints of herbal grain and oak. Not hugely expressive with late banana, sweet oak, sweet, dried fruit and dusty spice.

The palate opens with a touch of grass, dried fruit and nutty oak. Relatively straightforward and linear with a good, spice infused dried fruit finish along with a touch of honey and spice.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Cameronbridge 1991 (25 year old) 54.5%

Code: OLD0338/ Dist: Oct 1991 Btl: Nov 2016?/ Tasted: Dec 2016

The nose displays dark toffee, molasses and heavy spirit notes. Tight oak and hints of cigar leaf and spicy fruit follows along with developing coconutty oak and creamy vanilla.

Very full on the palate, opening with the creamy oak and dried fruit. A crisp graininess keeps the molasses and dark treacle notes in check. Hints of cigar smoke, coffee’d tannins and grainy spice come through on the middle. Long and intense with lingering toast, spice and dry chocolaty tannins. The dark chocolate really lingers!

Douglas Laing Old Particular Cameronbridge 1990 (25 year old) 60.6%

Bourbon/ Code: OLD0219/ Dist: June 1990 Btl: July 2015/ Tasted: Aug 2015

Dense, warm and woody aromas of hickory and mature oak. Superb depth of dried fruit, wood spice, light honey and vanilla.

The palate opens with a bucketful of herbal tannins, hickory and oak. Hints of oily dried fruit, dark toffee and gentle spice follow counterbalancing the grippy oak. A lovely vibrant alcohol/ grainy nip comes through along with a touch of earth and dried orange and lemon peel. Very long with a right battle going on between the oily dried fruit (sultana, raisin, prune) and the piquant alcohol, but those warm spices that infuse the finish are truly delicious, as is that coffee’d after-taste.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Cameronbridge 1991 (26 year old) 51.5%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0535/ DL12233

Dist: Oct 1991 Btl: Dec 2017/ Tasted: Feb 2018

Deliciously aromatic dried apricot, sultana and lemon mingles with nutty oak. Superb depth and intensity.

The palate is full and rounded with dried apricot, sultana and lemon, along with some subtly creamy oak. Lovely building wood spice notes on the middle and a long, dried fruit finish with lingering spices. Superb vibrancy.

 

 

---

Douglas Laing Xtra Old Particular Cameronbridge 1984 (32 year old) 56.2%

Refill Hogshead/ Code: XOP0069/ DL11342

Dist: Mar 1984 Btl: Aug 2016/ Tasted: Sept 2016

Toffee apple and crunchy grain notes on the nose with hints of dried fruit, sweet coffee, muscavado sugar and hints of crème brulee. Pleasantly complex with developing notes of nougat, cinnamon sticks, sweet vanilla, coconut and banana. It certainly has the wow factor!

The palate opens with the cinnamon coated, luscious dried fruit (sultana and apricot) and sweet grain spirit notes. Beautifully balanced with just the right amount of oak adding silky vanilla and coconut, and well integrated alcohol which stops the sweeter elements getting out of shape. Intensely spicy and crisp finish with lingering dried sweet fruit. Awesome!

Cameronbridge Distillery Bottlings Tasting Notes

Cameron Brig 40%

Tasted: Nov 2010

The nose is one dimensional – oak and young-ish sharp grain. The palate I think has been flattened by caramel. Nondescript and sweet.

Haig Club Single Grain 40%

A blend of grain whisky from Cameronbridge Distillery which has been aged in Refill [American oak?], [fresh?] American Oak and Rejuvenated casks

Tasted: Sept 2014

The grain aromas are quite crisp with some soft Guyana-esque, oily dried fruit and spice. It is predominantly young spirit but there are elements of aged spirit at work, but I can’t say I’m getting much oak character though. 

The palate is initially quite sweet and grainy with hints of dried fruit, coffee and spice. Straightforward with all the flavours being delivered right from the word go, but they never develop. Good length though, but again not much from the oak.