Strathclyde 29 Years Old 1994 Cask #4565942 (The Caskhound)

Bottled by The Caskhound, this Strathclyde, a 29 year old release from 1994, drawn from cask 4565942 and bottled at 41.7%. A release of 164 bottles. Set in the Gorbals, Glasgow, Strathclyde has made grain whisky since 1927. Built first for neutral grain spirit for gin, it entered whisky with the Long John brand in 1936.

It was worked through continuous column stills from wheat, for the light, sweet grain spirit the distillery is known for. Maturation in a sherry cask laid dried fruit over the oily grain. Long ageing brings a deep coconut, toffee and a mellow, polished oak. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the sweet, oily core over decades. 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. The distillery sits in the Gorbals on the south bank of the Clyde.

Undiluted at 41.7%, it is layered. The Pedro Ximenez lends raisin, date and treacle over a sweet grain. It is clean and sweet, the grain spirit shining through. The close is soft, dessert sweet over oak. This is a single grain from Glasgow's only grain distillery.