I’m absolutely in love with this little pistol of a whisky. Distilled on the 4th of May 2012 and filled into a fresh first fill bourbon barrel, I honestly don’t remember if or when I’ve ever tried a single grain this age in a first fill barrel. And I’m sad. I’m sad cause I love this style, and I realize that we might not get to play with fun funky little grains like this in the future, at least not at this incredible price. It’s just CRAZY how affordable this is. And it’s true that for many drinkers who pick this up not realizing what they’re getting into, they might get a bit smacked around. Clocking in at a cool 125.8 proof, it’s simply to tense and wild to jump in without some knowledge of what it is. But, if you can take a step back and appreciate how lucky we are to have access to this interesting and unusual whiskies at less than $40, you’ll see why I love it so much. I think single grains need to have water added a bit more slowly than malt, so take your time with that too. Here it is.

The color is an unbelievably pretty – deep gold (0.8). The heady abv is obvious off the bat but does not get in the way of the lovely, sweet cereal and toasted vanilla character. On the nose, hints of Walker’s Short Bread, muesli, cake frosting and cacao. On the palate, it’s somewhat juicy with subtle sweet and spicy grains, bold oak, and twang of cinnamon on the end. Adding water truly opens this one up in a huge way but do it slowly. Now the cacao is dark chocolate, and the stone fruits are coming up on the nose much more. Still beautiful, sweet, and spicy grains, but much more expressive now with a sense of wilderness – fields of grass on the edge of a damp wood. Hints of hay and geranium follow. On the palate the lack of heat adds sweetness, and the spicy finish is no more. Instead, it’s a bucket of cereals sweetened with honey syrup. It’s not bourbon, it’s not malt – it’s not as powerful or intense as either, but a lovely whisky, nonetheless.

Now I’m using every Diageo malt I must try to recreate Johnnie Black with it. So much fun to blend at home.