I’ve already introduced my approx. 0 followers to Cambus in this post. More is coming up, to satisfy your insatiable demand for Cambus content.
I got both today’s samples from Bad Homburg whisky fair 2023. It seems I didn’t take a photo of the first bottle, and from the info I jotted down on the sample bottle label I’ve only been able to narrow it down to one of three lightly-coloured 30yo Cambuses from Signatory Vintage. Let’s have these bad boys, and if you stick around ’till the end, there’s a little surprise!
Cambus | 30yo (1991) | Signatory Vintage
🌐
🪵
🔆
💲
Scotch single grain
refill butt
unchillfiltered & natural color
Similar SV bottling ~€170 (Germany, 2023); my 2cl sample cost €8
Sample review
⚡Experience
Strong alcohol on the nose, a little bit detergent-like. Rose petals, wine gums, water melon, tonic water; quite spritely. Water brings out more sour fruits; tart green apples and lemon meringue. Palate: cereal, sponge cake (with icing), and some surprising herbal notes (watercress, coriander?) that went away with added water. The finish leaves sweetness and alcohol tingle, and not
this is surprising! Some kind of herb (watercress, coriander)
💡Thoughts
This is not bad, it’s just a bit boring, mostly cereal-sweet, and poor integration of the alcohol. Like the cask was too tired to carry this grain the entire distance.
Unfulfilling
Cambus | 34yo (1989) | 50% | Alambic Classique
🌐
🪵
🔆
💲
🔗
Scotch single grain
sherry cask
unchillfiltered & natural color
available for €219 (Germany, Dec 2023); my 2cl sample cost €11
Sample review
⚡Experience
Rich, woody, syrupy, lemony, and slightly cheesy on the nose. Strong alcohol at first, but tempers with water which accentuates butter and vanilla, and subtler orange blossom note. Indeed, the emptier and more diluted my glass gets, the more subtle and interesting the nose becomes. The palate offers salted caramel, pickles, coffee, and a hint of tobacco. Decent finish where the dried fruits and nuts linger.
💡Thoughts
By all accounts a very tasty dram, with no particular flaws. The sherry cask pairs well with the Cambus spirit. It would pair amazingly well with some cheese and chutney, I reckon. On its own, it doesn’t stand out as exceptional among the Cambuses I’ve tried, but hey, every bottle can be exceptional.
Worthwhile and Enjoyable
Now, I have another drop of grain left in my stash — the leftovers from my first grain tasting. I wasn’t too convinced with either of the three samples from that tasting, so I didn’t finish them and ended up combining them in a sample bottle. Let’s see what this private blended grains tastes like!
“Emil’s blended grain #1” | 39yo
🌐
🔆
Scotch blended grain
unchillfiltered & natural color
Sample review
⚡Experience
Explosive nose! Buttery, full of waxy oranges, vanilla, and (more interestingly, but subtly) a green pepper scent. Really viscous on the palate, sweet, and with flavours of crème brûlée, brioche, hard citrus candy, and fruit punch. Every sip ‘blooms’ with a very subtle smoke. A mouth-coating finish.
💡Thoughts
This is excellent! Better than I remember the individual components for this blend (a 46yo North British, 39yo Cameronbridge, and a 45yo blended grain), and this surprises me. I think they were in similar proportions. The mini-bottle was not completely filled and has been sitting since 23rd March (almost 9 months!), but there is not mini-bottle defect. Maybe the oxidization has made an improvement and gotten rid of that sour wood and overbearing tannins of the components? Very fun result, and deserving of a special mark.
Worthwhile and Enjoyable
And a fun surprise!
DuckDrams 
Leave a comment