Port Dundas 16 Years Old 2008 Cask #585867+585868 (Signatory Vintage)

Bottled by Signatory Vintage, this Port Dundas single grain at 16 year old from 2008, drawn from cask 585867+585868 and bottled at 46%. Port Dundas, a giant of Lowland grain whisky first run in 1811 beside the Forth and Clyde Canal in Glasgow, was brought to an end in 2010. Its grain fed great blends such as Johnnie Walker and Haig for generations.

Grain whisky like this was produced by continuous distillation in Coffey stills from a mash of wheat and malted barley, giving a delicate spirit that ages oak first. An Oloroso sherry cask shaped it, aged in open contact with air to build a nutty, dried fruit depth. Well into its second decade, the spirit has softened and the cask sweetness come forward. The wood does most of the talking in grain whisky, which is why cask choice matters here.

At 46% it is soft and rounded. The Oloroso lends fig, raisin and a walnut depth, while the toasted oak gives vanilla, with the wood lactones lend coconut and a creme brulee note from the caramelised sugars, over light citrus and a soft tropical lift. The palate is gentle, sweet and slow, with no rough edges. The finish is long, sweet and softly oaky. This is a finite pour from a Glasgow distillery long gone.