Caledonian 1974 - The Cally

A nice, pleasantly drinkable grain whiskey that I have liked repeatedly. But it is of course exorbitantly expensive, which is simply too much for what is on offer. Delicious 40-year-old grains are available from other distilleries at significantly more moderate prices.

Tasting Notes by WhiskyFun.com (december 4, 2015): Lovely half-pre-Castro-Cuban, half-Alfred-Barnard-era label. The whisky industry will soon call a guy named Gutenberg at the current rate. Nah, Da Vinci’s too expensive. More seriously, we haven’t tried many Caledonians so far, let’s simply remember that the Haymarket distillery (Edinburgh) was closed in 1987. So, as far as grains are concerned, this is a historical bottling. Colour: gold. Nose: ha, now we’re talking! And we’re talking… Irish. Seriously, you’d think this is pure pot still whiskey, with overripe apples, butterscotch, and this very peculiar metallic side that just works in this context. And of course there’s plenty of vanilla and coconut. Fresh and vibrant, certainly not ’40 years’. I quite like this so far. With water: I like it even more. Some kind of softer bourbon, perhaps. No rye, though. Mouth (neat): very good, I think. It’s not malt whisky, obviously, but it’s got depth and structure, and all this tropical stuff (Irish indeed) just works. Mango chutney covered with buttered caramel and coconut liqueur, plus mandarin liqueur and perhaps Turkish delights. Goody good, and the oak never comes in the way. Meringue. With water: really very good. No oaky ventures, only stewed fruits and various pastries, including oriental ones. Finish: quite short, as expected, but clean, fruity, and praline-like. Comments: I haven’t checked the price, but if it’s fair(ish), it’s a good bottle to own to show your friends that grain whisky’s not always only oak-flavoured ethanol. I really like it very, very mucho. SGP:640 - 89 points.

Amber color. It's not too oily.

ROUND ONE N: Made from maize, wheat and a little barley, this scores a home run instantly as sighs of appreciation flutter round the room. Of course its woody with huge deep vanillas, but this isn’t a heavy varnished, thick emulsion grain. This one is talking of Devon cream teas, proper vintage ice-cream [made from diary], lime cream, lime jelly, sweet~sour cream, tropical fruits and swirling sugars. Sugars that could indicate this as a rum or bourbon. I just got sweet-buttered potatoes too. T: Now comes the emulsion and the varnish. Aah, what loveliness -  just what you want from an old grain. It’s in no rush to unravel its years in the cask. Very lovely, mature, soft bourbon notes seep from this old timer. F: Switches from sweet to sweet=sour now as the long unravel extends further. More vanillas, more sweet=sour dairy, and more straight shooting, no fuss bourbon led finishing - light fruity, oaky vanillas reside. C: That’s a grain alright.This one communally outshone the Port Ellen on the night.  The best Caledonian i ever had was the older Scott’s WB which had a bit more complexity and certainly more body - but performance wise, this is very fine indeed. Scores an A- [90] ROUND TWO N: An Instant pleaser of buttery chocolate vanilla in the main with sugary rum notes as before. A grain beautifully aged, but one with a youthful outlook. T: Emulsion and varnish yes, but tempered - with a long unravel as before. A little lime, buttery key-lime pie, hmm yes and an exquisite, concentrated sweetness. A little water brings out more of the woody notes and more coconut, [almost] in [Malibu] rum proportions. Id say this was bottled at near perfect strength. F: As before, turns from sweet to sweet=sour, but its the mouth coating too that equally scores the points. More chocolate with water and a milky>sour-cream finish with a touch of banana. C: ‘You put the lime in the coconut and you drink it all up’. Scores a B+ [89]

Bottler's Note: Color: Warm old gold with russet reflexes. Aroma: Appetizing and delicious. Sweet fruit gums and fresh fruits like peach, ripe melon and a lively top note of spicy orange peel over a base of vanilla biscuit and freshly planed oak. Later sultanas, soft overripe banana and honey. Taste: Fresh acidity, slightly sweet and oily, with hints of chocolate and vanilla.In reduced starch, the texture is softer and the taste is cooling and creamy. Burnt sugar and cocoa against a developing background of wooden pencil boxes, raisins, dates, allspice and a touch of white chocolate. Moderate in the body. Resonance : long and complex. Oily, with slightly overlapping dark chocolate and fresh oak. The rising sharpness contains espresso coffee and roasted flavors of toffee and chocolate cake.

Saulecker, purely in terms of taste, I would probably spend over 100, for 150 (pain threshold) is not enough.

Very special perfume, sweet but not too much, bourbon style, a mixture of vanilla and paint. In the mouth it is sweet, almost rum-like, suggestive of alpine herbs. It is like a bourbon, but almost "fossilized" after the very long stay in the barrel. Fantastic!

A wonderfully balanced, heather-toned and oily drop. But the PLV is inadequate despite its old age.

Amazing, just amazing. I am not *at all* a grain whisky lover usually but with this Cally I was expecting a certain level of quality. My expectations were clearly surpassed. It is just incredibly vibrant, aromatic, precise, spontaneous, decipherable. What a pleasure. I will just list all these aromatic arrows one after the other : dill, mustard seeds, citron (cédrat), ginger beer, cucumber pickle, basil smash, violets, eucalyptus, pine tree essential oil, high-end riesling terpenes, ... Superb, head and shoulders above any other grain I could taste so far (which is not a lot, you're right). 93-94

Nose: Butterscotch popcorn, ground cinnamon, vanilla pods, Palate: Drier than most other grains, not overly sweet, old sandalwood, honeycomb and Terrys white chocolate orange Finish: Decent length, more herbal, chocolate shavings, oak furniture that’s been sanded weeks ago

Country Club Pro-Shop The aroma was rich and dignified, with lovely leafy tobacco running through layers of brown sugar, sticky buns, honey drizzles over pistachio cream stuffed pastries, and lacquered wood. Polished antiques and oak frequently dominated, with hints of cinnamon and herbal tea in the background. Medium-bodied and tannic on the palate, the flavors were well-structured and rich. Brown sugar buns and fried, honey-drenched pastries arrived first, with ample oak and polished wood close behind. Tannic and drying, the flavors shifted subtly toward tobacco, leather, oak moss, and bergamot toward the end. The finish was long and lingering with brown sugar, bergamot, and oak. I enjoyed the lovely tobacco notes that ran throughout the nose and palate. The flavors were well-structured and rich, if not a bit simple and overly oaky at times. There were plenty of classic grain notes of pastries and cream, along with a big scoop of dark brown sugar. Grain whiskies typically lack a lot of depth, so you need them to perfectly hit the notes they can, or the whole thing can fall apart. Overall, a little taste of history, a well-composed old grain, a good example of what you can expect from the category, and why it is sometimes worth seeking out.

I'm not a fan of grain whisky, but what "The Cally" delivers is worth every cent. I've now tasted the third bottle and I hope to have another opportunity in my life to enjoy this exquisite whisky.