Really old grain whisky has long been on our wish list. Besides the North of Scotland 49 years 1971 - 2021 Single Cask "West" we also tasted a cask sample of this Cameronbridge 46 years 1974 - 2021 Single Cask "East". As we could not choose, we decided to select both and bottled them as a series "East vs West" under the Boogieman Import label.

Cameronbridge is a distillery that was founded in 1824 by John Haig. This makes the distillery the oldest working grain distillery in Scotland.

It is not only the oldest, it is also the distillery with the largest capacity in Scotland. No less than 100 million liters of pure alcohol is produced within the walls of Cameronbridge distillery.

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Sparkling gold

Nose: The first scent that reaches the nose is tropical fruit. Dragon fruit, lychee, pineapple and passion fruit. The classic old grain whisky character is also clearly present. Later on, the spicy tones come out very well. A very promising entry that we previously only knew from Benriach and Tomatin 1976.

Taste: 46 years of hogshead maturation have made the alcohol content almost too low to be called whisky. Yet this 40.1% gives this whisky body and character. The delicious fruit aroma is still in the foreground. Sultry and soft, the fresh sweet acidity of the pineapple again, but also creamy and well-rounded.

Finish: It is here that this whisky really reveals its age. Everything comes together in the finish. The layering, the fruit, the wood, the spiciness, the hint of honey. Pure enjoyment!

Tasting notes Ruben Luyten - WhiskyNotes: Score 90/100

Boogieman Import is the bottler pseudonym of Passion for Whisky, one of the leading whisky shops in The Netherlands. Last week they announced two grain whiskies, a Cameronbridge 1974 and North of Scotland 1971. Even for grain whiskies these are unusually old bottlings.

Nose: a mix of tropical fruits, like pineapple, tangerine, passion fruit. A little mint. The usual coconut flakes are also present, but further in the background, together with subtle vanilla. After a while the fruits grow sweeter and more candied, with a hint of strawberry and honey. All this kept together by old oak.

Mouth: the age turned the usual woody notes into a certain bright sourness, which evokes more passion fruits and citrus, as well as fresh pineapple and pink grapefruit. Really nice, I can’t think of other grains with this kind of profile. Hints of lemongrass and Thai basil. Subtle juniper and clove in the end.

Finish: not too long. A tad more vanillin and leather now, with a thin fruitiness and hints of fruit tea.

This Cameronbridge lacks the creaminess and obvious vanilla of most other grains. Its thin and subtle profile is really an asset here. Fruity and complex, as well as utterly drinkable. Recommended.