Strathclyde 27 Years Old 1988 Cask #62121 (Crom)

This is a Strathclyde single grain, chosen and bottled by Crom matured to 27 year old from 1988, drawn from cask 62121 and bottled at 54.8%. Strathclyde was opened in 1927 by the gin distiller Seager Evans on an old cotton mill site in Glasgow; Chivas Brothers run it today. Single grain releases are rare; this comes from an independent bottler rather than the distillery.

The spirit was run through column stills, an analyser and a rectifier, on Loch Katrine water, to build a soft, sweet grain character. A refill American oak cask held it, building the sweet, oily grain character. Long ageing brings a deep coconut, toffee and a mellow, polished oak. Long ageing turns light grain into a deep, oily, dessert sweet whisky. The distillery sits in the Gorbals on the south bank of the Clyde. It is now part of the Chivas Brothers stable, working quietly in the city. Glasgow once held distilleries across the city; today only Strathclyde remains.

At a hearty 54.8% it carries real weight. The ex-Bourbon gives coconut, vanilla and toffee. Soft toffee and vanilla sit behind the sweetness. Crème brûlée and oak draw out the close. This is an aged single grain from a Glasgow distillery.