Creations 26 Years Old (Cadenhead’s)

Creations 26 Years Old (Cadenhead's) is a blended grain Scotch from Cadenhead's. It marries grain whiskies from more than one distillery into a soft, sweet whole. Glasgow grain whisky such as Strathclyde has long fed the blending halls.

Aged grain whiskies bring coconut, vanilla and a buttery sweetness. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, American oak giving coconut and toffee. Maturation in ex-Bourbon wood suits the light, sweet grain particularly well. Independent makers have championed old grain as a category in its own right. Hedonism and its kin showed that aged grain could stand alone as fine whisky. Blended grain marries grain whiskies from more than one distillery. The maker selects casks for the sweetness and depth each lends. Aged grain brings coconut, vanilla and a buttery oak to the glass. A period of marrying lets the whiskies settle together. Glasgow grain such as Strathclyde has long been a blending mainstay.

At a natural 57.7% it is full and oily. Coconut, vanilla, toffee and a soft oil run through it, with a creamy oak depth. The texture is oily and buttery, the sweetness coating. A warming, sweet finish lingers. A soft, sweet blended grain Scotch.