Girvan 2006 Single Cask Exclusives Grain GV003 (The Creative Whisky Company)

Based on my friend Paul's scathing review, I decided to go ahead and get this one out of the way rather early because he made it sound like I'd need to extra time to erase it from memory. It's part of our distillery sample trading team and was supplied by our buddy Pranay from NJ. I read through all the bottling facts and info I could find in hopes to get a grasp of at least what the distillery and independent bottler were hoping for. Girvan is a lowland, grain distillery that makes whisky that's primarily destined to be blended into William Grant & Sons stuff. This is from a somewhat rare few casks to be bottled as a single barrel series that was finished for an undisclosed amount of time in rum barrels. It's bottled at 50% ABV and has no color added and is NCF'd. It made some fast forming, thin legs in the taster and is a light gold in color. The nose is, how do I put it, disturbing. All I could think of is high school shop class. Sawdust, wood shavings, paint thinner and cleaning solution. A slight fruity flavor also lingers, but it actually seems out of place. I made a birdhouse that smells like this whisky. The palate is pepper, oak, lemon zest with a little bit of that faint fruitiness. None of this hang around very long before the bitter oak and dryness set in and finish you off. I would say it sets in and ruins the sip, but there would've had to have been something good to ruin, lol. It's just so odd. When I think of Grain whisky I think of smooth, sweet and creamy. This has none of that. When I think of rum finishing I think of cocunuts, tanning oil and beaches. None of that, either. The overall finish- dry. Coughing up dust dry. I don't even know what I'd try to use as a mixer with this stuff. It would ruin the mixer. But, hey, our group has ticked off Girvan from our list and we will just move forward. I'm gonna give it 2 stars because of that and because it's alcohol. Thanks, Pranay. At least tonight's buzz is under way...haha."