This single grain from Cameron Bridge makes its debut in the SR this year. Cameron Bridge once known as Cameron Brig, is Diageo’s biggest Grain distillery and contributes its liquid to the best-selling Johnnie Walker blended whisky range. Now, Grain whiskies can be fun, and can be lovely when older, as they are mostly very simple distillates, the cask bears a major influence on them even more than it does on single malts. This whisky was aged in standard issue refill Bourbon casks, no fancy casks, and no finishing. so it’s all up to the oak to shine… Let’s try some.
Cameron Bridge 26 yo – Special releases 2022, 56.2% , £275
Nose: Sweet (but that’s hardly something surprising, is it?) – there’s loads of Caramel candy, then sweet toffee, and castor sugar, which is nicely balanced by some herbal notes – mostly mint and some thyme, leafy at times, then back to sweet and creamy vanilla, over grilled fruit, a hint of coconut. It needs time in the glass to mellow down and lose some of its spirit-y ‘edges’ be patient.
Palate: Butterscotch-covered popcorn, toffee, and chocolate with lots of polished oak and creamy vanilla. brown sugar and more coconut shreds, there’s some alcohol bite, and more of the green herbal notes we’ve found on the nose – mint, and sawdust, getting bitter with oak char towards the end.
Finish: Lots of oak, bitter chocolate, char, and more wood shavings and vanilla, maybe a touch of mocha.
Conclusion: It’s a nice whisky, but certainly not one of the best grain whiskies I’ve tried. I would have loved to see this whisky kept in oak for longer, sure it would benefit from it. At £275 quid a pop, this is certainly not the best value among this year’s SR range. Die-hard grain fans with an affinity to colorful labels would dig this one. I am somewhat unconvinced.