Strathclyde 32 Year Old 1989 Cadenhead's Single Sherry Cask Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky (2021) 70cl
1 of 324 bottles produced from a single sherry cask.
Sherried grain whisky is hardly seen due to its propensity to compliment barley and wheat to create a sweeter flavour profile hence our history of blended whiskies. When grain is left for a long while, the rich intense musky sherry character comes through revealing a drink that tastes older than it is and at times competes quite well with a well aged barley whisky however grain was never given that platform until brands such as Strathclyde, Port Dundas and particularly House of Hazelwood with its ancient grains over everyone else.
About Strathclyde
Originally built as a neutral grain spirit distillery for producing gin, Strathclyde has grown to become Glasgow's most successful grain distillery.
Glasgow’s distilleries, until the opening of its new single malt plant, were kept as far out of the public’s ken as possible, which wasn’t an easy feat when one of them, Port Dundas, was a massive, steaming building on top of a hill. Its other – and now only – grain distillery has been more successful.
Strathclyde distillery is located in the Gorbals on the south side of the River Clyde opposite Glasgow Green and it’s nice to think that an operation so dependent on steam should be located so close to the park where James Watt was struck with inspiration for his vapour-driven engine.
The distillery – on the site of an old cotton mill – was initially built by London distiller Seager Evans in 1927 mainly to supply neutral grain spirit for its gins. In 1936, Seager Evans moved into Scotch with the purchase of the Long John brand.
In 1957, like many grain distilleries, Strathclyde secreted a malt plant – here called Kinclaith – inside its walls. This ran from 1957 to 1975 when it was removed to make way for a two-phase expansion of the grain/neutral spirit side of the operation. At the same time, the firm’s blending and warehousing site next door was also demolished
Long John Distilleries (as Seager Evans’ whisky division was named) went through a number of hands, eventually ending up within Allied Distillers, by which time Strathclyde would also have been supplying some of the grain to the Ballantine’s and Teacher’s blends. It is now part of the Chivas Brothers stable and still, amazingly, goes unnoticed by the strollers along the banks of the Clyde.
*due mid Feb 2026
54.5% ABV
70cl
