Along with the brilliant Glenlivet 11 I reviewed last week, TWB have bottled two older single grains (bottled actually by Hunter Laing, but exclusively for TWB). The first of which is a 3o year old from Dumbarton grain distillery. Dumbarton distillery was a single grain distillery in Dumbartonshire built in the 1930s. It closed in 2002. The distillery is now demolished. This one was aged in a Single cask refill barrel #14247 distilled March 1987 and bottled September 2017 by Hunter Laing & Co. for the Sovereign series, bottled at cask strength of 55.3%. Interesting..
Dumbarton 30 yo, single grain, #14247 , 55.3%, £91
Nose: Quite fresh and light for a 30 year old whisky, not a lot of wood influence over here. Starting with lemon and vanilla, a whiff of nail remover, and some icing sugar. Not a lot going on here.
In Short:
Not quite what I was expecting from a 30 year old grain. It’s not very complex, and the nose is rather light. Hoping the 44 year old Carsebridge will improve on that.
Score: 82/100
Carsebridge 44 yo, 1973 , Refill Hogshead #14189 , 50.9% , £148 
Nose: quite nicer this one, with some varnish / acetone , lovely sweet wood, and vanilla, some green fruit, fresh yet sweet-ish, wee honeyed note…
Palate: The palate is very nice, sweet and creamy, with more wood and a tropical edge (kiwi, lychee), which is fantastic, golden syrup and wood spices, coconut. This is much better !
Finish: Pepper, more tropical fruit, wood and chocolate.
In Short:
Very nice stuff, this is more like it. 44 years and it shows. Good stuff, and I totally like it, although not sure I like the pricing. but for a 44 year old whisky, 150 quid is not that bad… right?