A blend of very special aged Scotch grain and malt whiskies, each barrel chosen for its distinctive and memorable characteristics. While others blend to produce year-in year-out consistency, each edition of The Exceptional Grain offers a whisky that is authentically individual, possessed of its own qualitative and stylistic distinction.

Mature grain whisky from North British, Strathclyde, and Cameron Bridge have been blended with selected barrels of aged malt whisky from 11 distilleries, including a 30-year-old Macallan. Deep and layered complexity. Superb whisky.

Tasting notes by Malt-Review 

Colour: old gold.

On the nose: curiously bringing the two sets of casks from above together results in different notes: vanilla, tons of fresh green apples, strawberries, green tomatoes, Champagne (the yeast really), floral honey and fresh cream.

In the mouth: a little too much heat and woodiness at the front end, but once that goes there’s a very nice if straightforward flavour. Vanilla custard. Toffee. Green apples. A warm, malty quality – hoppy almost. Quite nutty – almonds. Digestive biscuits. A considerably long finish. As you’d expect with a blend the balance is very good, and it packs in a lot of intensity for the ABV.

Conclusions: I think £86 is asking a lot of people when it comes to blended whiskies, which are – with some exceptions, notably from Compass Box – usually priced at a more accessible level. The grain whisky seems quite a stretch in particular. I’m guessing they’re priced at this level because of some of the old whiskies used in the blends, such as the 30-year-old Macallan. That said, there’s much to like here – a more reasonable price would have turned that like into a love.

Mature grain whisky from North British, Strathclyde, and Cameron Bridge have been blended with selected barrels of aged malt whisky from 11 distilleries, including a 30-year-old Macallan. Deep and layered complexity. Superb whisky.