September 1, 2014

Beckham’s Cameronbridge and others

The whisky industry is pushing hard anything that’s not age-bearing or vintage single malt these days. NAS, blends, grains, flavoured whisk… err, spirits, whatever, these marketing gymnastics are fascinating. So today we’ll have another go at some grains, but I’ll say it again, I’m not a huge fan of grain whisky. To me, and as Pete & Jack once said, they can sometimes be ‘blends to which they haven’t even bothered adding malt whisky.’ Having said that, as it’s the wood that does almost all the job with these ‘almost silent’ distillates, when the oak was great, the whisky can be quite good. Let’s have a few Cameronbridges today, including David Beckham’s Haig Club. The Beckhams have done everything, haven’t they.

Haig 'Club' (40%, OB, single grain, 2014)

A combination of three various cask types of undisclosed ages packaged in a clever Chanel-like blue bottle that should appeal to people (women?) who are not into whisky. For FZ’s Suzy Creamcheese? Colour: pale gold. Nose: very, very mild, reminding me of some aged vodka that I could try a few years ago. A little sawdust, a little vanilla, not much coconut (hurray!) and very little bready/cerealy character. A little green tea, perhaps? It’s all extremely harmless, which, in a sense, means that there aren’t any flaws – because there just cannot be any. Touches of marshmallows arising after two minutes, which makes it a little girly, if I may. Mouth: very sweet, very light, extremely easy, the exact opposite of malt whisky. Thin body, a little vanilla, liquorice allsorts, marshmallows and a little grass that imparts a welcome bitterness (or it would taste like vodka-Red Bull, without the effects.) Finish: almost none. Comments: a very light spirit, I can well imagine that youngsters who are coming from vodka would find this to their liking. And then put the bottle on the telly. SGP:530 - 72 points (just like its brother the well-known, and very under packaged Cameron Brig, that’s what I just noticed.)

Cameronbridge 29 yo 1979/2008 (50.3%, Duncan Taylor, cask #46, 258 bottles)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: same profile as the Haig, light and innocuous, but of course the higher age and strength do add oomph and even complexity. A typical oak-driven spirit, with vanilla aplenty, then marshmallows and coconut, then a welcome oiliness. Sunflower seeds? A little fudge as well, Werther’s Originals, butterscotch... Uncomplicated but balanced. Needs no water, for sure. Mouth: typical again. Sweet, vanilla-ed and extremely marshmallowy, with first a good mouth feel but then the body gets thinner and thinner, which often happens with grain in my experience. Notes of orange drops. Finish: short, all on bubblegum. Nice notes of tinned pineapples in the aftertaste, and very little spiciness. Comments: very fine, just a little boring. Not that I was expecting more, really… SGP:540 - 79 points.

Cameronbridge 30 yo 1978/2008 (56.6%, Adelphi, cask #5, 238 bottles)

Colour: light gold. Nose: styles are obviously similar, this one’s just bigger and, I have to say, perhaps a little solventy, but that may be the strength. Marshmallows and vanilla, orange drops, new oak. With water: ah, some pleasant oak. Visiting a carpenter’s workshop, while wolfing a large pack of marshmallows and drinking coconut milk. Or a piña colada. Mouth (neat): good, powerful, rather fruitier, but we’re always on sweets and drops rather than on fresh or dried fruits. Always this feeling of chewing bubblegum. With water: more of all that, but we’re more on the citrusy side. Orange drops. Finish: rather short, but with even more orange drops. Comments: very fine, but three are enough for one man. One of the better bottlings for sure. SGP:530 - 82 points.

	August 2014
	Favourite recent bottling: Port Charlotte 2001/2013 (59.2%, Malts of Scotland, Warehouse Dram No.1, cask #MoS 13042, 145 bottles) - WF 92 Favourite older bottling: Springbank 1958/1983 (92 US proof, Duthie for Narsai's Restaurant & Corti Brothers, USA) - WF 95 Favourite bang for your buck bottling: Ledaig 2005/2013 (62.8%, Archives, hogshead, cask #900092, 227 bottles) - WF 88

Favourite malternative:
Jamaica 30 yo 1982/2013 ‘Freya’ (50.8%, Lord of the Drams, 35 bottles) - WF 88