North British 13 Year Single Grain Whisky (Blackadder Raw Cask)

 

This is a new one for me - I've never had anything by (or even heard of!) North British Distillery. Apparently it was founded in 1885, and is located near Edinburgh. Currently - and this is really interesting - it's a joint venture between beverage giants Diageo and the Edrington Group. The grain output is used for both Johnnie Walker and Famous Grouse. It's also apparently the last working distillery in Edinburgh, and is routinely nicknamed "the NB." 

Meanwhile, single grain whisky is a unique beast of its own: single grain generally refers to whisky made from any grain that isn't malted barley; apparently North British uses unmalted barley, and also maize. It has to be made at a single distillery, but can consist of any combination of grains, malted or unmalted. Grain whisky is almost always made in a column or Coffey still, which is distinct from pot stills used in single malt production. 

Another interesting angle on this one - it was selected by Seelbach's (a craft spirit shop) and Prestige-Ledroit Distribution (based out of Elkridge, MD). Being a Blackadder Raw Cask bottle, it has huge flakes of cask char in it, and is surprisingly dark - the cask must have been incredibly active - which tracks, when you read the notes below. Bottled at 61.3% ABV, after 13 years in ex-bourbon. Let's see how the NB does: 

Nose: Surprisingly dry and bitter nose - tons of wood tannins, leather, some wax, and alcohol prickle... tempered by soft vanilla, cotton candy, butterscotch, and char/carbon. Bitter herbs come out with water, almost like the aftertaste of root beer. Overall impression is VERY woody. 

Mouthfeel: Full, viscous. 

Palate: Follows the nose - a core woodiness surrounded by a sweet halo. Wood, leather, dust, bitter roots, vanilla, pudding, flan. 

This would come across as much older than 13 years except for the bracing alcohol content - it's very hot - which pushes the impression back down. Definitely needs water to smooth out the flavors. 

Finish: Long, dry: freshly sawn lumber, butterscotch pudding, young leather, pepper. 

Verdict: A very interesting whisky, it *almost* noses and tastes older than it is, if not for the alcohol burn. The woodiness is reminiscent of something like Glenfarclas 21 - lots of tannins mixed with a soft sweetness. In this case, the wood is quite complex but the sweetness is rather one-note - vanilla/butterscotch - although I have hopes that it grows a little richer as the bottle develops and oxidizes. 

Considering I paid $80 for this... I think it was a good deal. For a single cask grain spirit with a rather unusual personality, that feels fair. Plus it was a novelty - a new distillery! - which gives it a little more value than usual. I wouldn't pay a whole lot more than that ... but it's certainly interesting.