Strathclyde 9 Years Old 2005 Cask #DH 10710 (Douglas Hamilton)

This Strathclyde was from the independent bottler Douglas Hamilton, a 9 year old from 2005, drawn from cask DH 10710 and bottled at 55.7%. Strathclyde was first built in 1927 in the heart of Glasgow, and it remains Glasgow's last working distillery. The malt distillery Kinclaith lived inside its walls from 1957 until 1975.

Distilled in column stills for a light, clean grain spirit, building the light Glasgow grain style. Maturation in a sherry cask laid dried fruit over the oily grain. Younger here, it keeps a clean, fresh grain character over light vanilla. Grain whisky like this rewards long maturation, the wood adding most of the character. Strathclyde is the only grain distillery in Glasgow, once one of Scotland's whisky cities. It was built by the gin distiller Seager Evans in 1927 on the site of an old cotton mill. Its grain whisky has long fed blends like Long John, Ballantine's and Chivas Regal.

Undiluted at 55.7%, it is layered. The Oloroso brings dried fruit and a nutty depth over the sweet grain. A butterscotch and a creamy oak lift it. It closes long, sweet and oily. This is the light, sweet grain style of Strathclyde.