The oldest whisky in the 2018 Diageo Special Release collection is this, a whopping 48 year old whisky distilled in 1970 aged in refill American oak hogsheads. The catch? It’s single grain, not single malt, produced at the Lowlands Carsebridge distillery, which was closed in 1983. Mainly used as a blending spirit, single grain releases from Carsebridge are understandably rare — and this is the oldest expression from the distillery ever put into bottle.

And so, let’s see how Carsebridge 48 fares.

Those who’ve experienced old single grain whisky will find few surprises here. The nose is quite fresh, with a light cereal quality informed by nougat, coconut, and sandalwood notes, plus a hint of sweeter butterscotch. Very slightly musty, it’s unmistakably grain whisky from the outset. The palate finds a lot of similarity with the above, a very down to earth and approachable whisky that’s gently candylike, with simple hints of pineapple and breakfast cereal. Gentle and mild, there’s the slightest black pepper overtone late in the game. The finish finds lingering cereal notes still hanging on, with hints of almond and a slightly spicy element in the mix.

Quite vibrant despite its extreme age, it’s further proof of the longevity powers of single grain whisky. This probably could have spent another 20 years in barrel with no ill effects; the barrel probably would have fallen apart before the whisky did.

86.4 proof. 1000 bottles produced.

B+ / $959 / malts.com

Carsebridge 48 Years Old Limited Edition 2018

$959

8.5

Rating

8.5/10