1991 North British 34 Year Old "Redacted Bros." (Thompson/Dornoch) Single Grain Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Distilled at North British Distillery, founded in 1885 in Edinburgh by a consortium of blending houses and now jointly owned by Diageo and Edrington, this whisky comes from one of Scotland’s most important grain producers.There was a period in K&L's history when old 30+ year old grain was regularly available for less than $100, but it's been nearly two decades since that was regularly true, and even then it was an anomaly. We regularly saw 25 to 30 year old single grain for many years in the $100 to $150 range and felt those represented a pretty serious value. Now, with the state of the industry, there are surprising parcels of casks coming out of the woodwork, perhaps creating a new golden age of Scotch whisky consumption. This is ripe old grain of the highest order. It offers an incredible and unique character that sits somewhere between overtly savory and complexly sweet. It is not, as some overly oaked old grains may be, bitter or astringent, instead offering a great deal of lively fruit to balance the deep savory character of extreme concentration through nearly three and a half decades of maturation. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 40.1%, it does not feel watery, but retains impeccable freshness and texture even at this lower proof. An incredible value on any scale and hopefully the start of some regularly featured old grain on our shelves at outstanding prices.