1965 Caledonian 45 Year Old K&L Exclusive Sovereign Single Barrel Cask Strength Grain Whisky 750ml

Closed forever in 1988, Caledonian was a Lowland grain distillery that was once famed for having Europe's biggest patent still. The nose is salted caramel and sticky Sauternes, with rich and enticing aromas of sweet goodness. The palate, however, is grain all the way--lean and herbal, odd and exciting, crazy cool and super fun--a difficult malt to truly explain. It almost tastes peated! Knowing this was going to be for the true whisky nerds out there, we originally decided to pass on this cask even though we loved it. However, when the owners let us deal via our own importer, we were able to work out a ridiculous price for such an ancient collectable (the closest comparison we could find was a 45 year Caledonian selling in the UK for more than $200). Similar grains of this age have sold at K&L in the past for more than $300! While this bottle isn't for everyone, it is meant for the curious collector looking to branch out and understand the various styles of Scotch. Grain whisky has always been an important element of blended whisky and continues to provide the backbone to legends like Johnnie Walker Blue and Chivas Regal. While it has recently fallen out of "style," there is a strong grain whisky revival festering once again, and we're glad to be, as usual, at the forefront of all whisky movements. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)