Nicknamed 'The Cally' by the those who worked at the distillery, A Lowland distillery, founded in Edinburgh, Caledonian closed in 1988. This 'ghost' distillery no longer produces whiskies, however in 2015 The Cally 40 Year Old was made available as part of the Diageo Special Releases. A single grain whisky in the Special Releases! The first since 2011's Port Dundas and only the second ever as far as we know. Caledonian grain distillery in Edinburgh closed in 1988 and is rarely seen - this 40 year old is comfortably the oldest official release.
Caledonian 'The Cally' 1974 40 Year Old (STK 0001)
NOSE
Freshly varnished wood, model glue and polish – classic old grain whisky character. Behind those lighter notes sits a mature dram: salted caramel and vanilla toffee spiced up with freshly cracked black pepper.
TASTE
Rich and thick toffee, more sea salt, and baked apples studded with raisins. As it develops in the glass, concentrated fruity flavours start to come to the front – orange squash (with real fruit) and unsweetened blackcurrant juice.
FINISH
Lots of spice – liquorice root and cinnamon – fading through nutmeg to a gently tannic and pleasantly sour end.