Strathclyde 16 Years Old 2007 Exploration Series (Claxton’s)

Claxton's bottled this Strathclyde single grain, a 16 year old grain whisky from 2007 and bottled at 50%. Strathclyde, built in 1927 on the south bank of the Clyde in Glasgow, is a Glasgow grain distillery. Its grain whisky goes into blends such as Long John, Ballantine's and Chivas Regal.

Distilled continuously in twin Coffey stills from wheat, giving a clean, high strength grain whisky. A sherry cask wrapped the sweet grain in dried fruit and a nutty depth. Around two decades the grain gains a fuller toffee and an oily weight. The high strength spirit mellows slowly into a soft, sweet old grain. Its grain whisky has long fed blends like Long John, Ballantine's and Chivas Regal. Twin Coffey stills run on wheat, the water drawn from Loch Katrine. The malt distillery Kinclaith lived inside its walls from 1957 until 1975. Single grain releases are rare, almost all of them from independent bottlers. Light grain spirit takes oak readily, so long ageing brings out coconut and toffee.

At a full 50% it is intense yet sweet. The Pedro Ximenez lends raisin, date and treacle over a sweet grain. Soft toffee and vanilla sit behind the sweetness. It closes long, sweet and oily. This is Strathclyde's sweet, oily single grain.