ContemplativeFox
Port Dundas 18 Year Single Grain
Single Grain — Lowlands, Scotland
Reviewed
August 18, 2022 (edited August 19, 2022)
Rating: 11/23
Today is National Scotch Day, so I had to pick a scotch to have. This one seems interesting enough to fit the occasion, so I'm cracking it open.
N: On the lighter side, but with a nice oily fullness that has hints of tangerine and lemon. Not the most interesting nose, but it has some nice, typical single grain character. I do get some of that grainy dry tartness that makes me worry this might be harsh, but we'll see.
P: Sweet vanillins mix with tangerine and lemon, as well as a dash of sort of malty light caramel. It burns, unfortunately, but unsurprisingly. There's also an overall youthfulness that is typical of single grains. That said, the flavors do integrate well (aside from that burn). They aren't that complex though.
F: The sweetness lingers, along with some burn. The sweetness has a grainier vibe now, with the vanillins reduced and the caramel gone. The fruity tartness doesn't make it through.
- Conclusion -
I'm not a big fan of this, but it does seem like a well-executed single grain. It's just unfortunate that grain whisky is kind of bad.
Side-by-side, Compass Box Hedonism (12/23) actually tastes quite hedonistic for once, with plenty of bourbon barrel richness coming through. I think that this burns more too. It's not looking good for this Port Dundas. Light vegetal notes from this in comparison.
Signatory's Caledonian 29 (1987) (12/23) has a bunch more wood going on (and obviously more heat, seeing as it's cask strength). I'd put the two of them close together, but the win goes to the Caledonian. I think that the Caledonian is a low 12, so this is going to be a 10 or 11.
I think I'll go with an 11 for this, but it's borderline.
Eh, there's actually a lot less funk in this than in the others, which I appreciate. I previously thought that this was a 10 or 11, but now I'm thinking an 11 or 12. I'm going with that 11 for sure now.
This is a solid single grain, but it's unfortunately another example of grain whisky being inferior to malt.
Thank you @jdriip for sharing this! I'd been hunting for it for a while, so I'm glad to be able to move on to other hunts now :)
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@ContemplativeFox I retasted all my open bottles of single grain Scotch (for science that’s ok, right?), including the Port Dudas, a 22 yo Loch Lomond, a 27 yo Cambridge, a 29 yo Cambus and Compass Box Hedonism. It’s been a bit of a revelation. Most have degraded at least a little over time (or has my palate has changed since I last tasted them?). The exception was the Hedonism which stood apart as significantly better than I remember. Maybe it’s just because of the comparison to lesser single grains?
Retaste 8/18/22 Butter cookies, chocolate and toffee on the nose, adds a little heat and sourness to the above notes on the palate, medium finish. I don’t think being opened for two and a half years has been kind to thi
@PBMichiganWolverine Yeah, that's actually why I bought an IB of it for myself a while back :)
@jdriip That's really interesting to hear. I'm going to keep in mind that that is a possibility for my single grains. Regardless, I always appreciate the opportunity to try more single grains since it's a category I'm still getting used to.
@ContemplativeFox too bad you didn’t enjoy this one more. Your review made me taste it again. Not as good as I remember. More grainy, hot and sour. I think being open for two and a half years has not been good for it.
Well, there is always next year.
@ContemplativeFox this distillery is a ghost now…I think it shut its doors about 10-20 yrs ago