Scotland, Campbeltown: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

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North British

Description of the whisky

The distillery

North British
North British distillery
9 Wheatfield Road
Gorgie, Edinburgh EH11 2PX

Owner: United Distillers & Vintners (Diageo) and Edrington
Creation date : 1885

The distillery was founded in 1885 by a group of businessmen. One of them was Adrew Usher, who was the first to market a blended whisky (mix of malt whisky and grain whisky) in 1860. This first blend was sold under the name "Old vatted Glenlivet".
The distillery started operating in 1887. North British uses maize and also green malt for its production and was the first to use a Saladin Box for its malting in 1948.
North British is the last distillery in activity in Edimburgh and also the second largest grain distillery in Scotland, with its production of about 64 millions liters a year.
Besides the grain whisky production for the blended whisky market (J&B, Famous Grouse, Chivas Regal, Lang's, Isle of Skye et Cutty Sark and others) , North British also makes other grain spirits: gin and vodka.
In 1916, the distillery was converted in order to produce acetone from maize, but production was never reached.
North British also produces carbon dioxide for both food and nuclear industries.

until 1993, the distillery belonged to "North British Distillery Co Ltd". In 1993, "Lothian Distillers" was created as a joint-venture between IDV and Edrington, each owning 50% of the shares. IDV is now part of Diageo.

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

North British
whisky Sample
Scott's Selection Scott's Selection 1974-1999 17

Voir help. 0 - 40 € 40 - 80 € 80 - 120 € 120 - 160 € 160 - 200 € 200 - 240 € 240 - 280 € > 280 €

North British samples

North British
1974-1999

Age
 25 years
Alcohol percentage
 53,1%
Bottler
 Scott's selection
This grain whisky has a very expressive nose too, kind of mix of pepper and fruits, but not ripe fruits, nor dry ones. It is more like a kind of acid fruits, like not ripe cherries. A pleasant smell.
The mouth is clearly behind the nose. Some monotony in the range of tastes. Chocolate and almond are dominating the palate.
The finish is warm and long, and remains in the mouth tones. No complexity, but a quite pleasant taste.
17/20
Quite a spring nose, with floral hints and cut grass. A touch of fruits too (apple), the whole being very fresh. The palate is first rather dry, very fruity with an evidence of alcohol although not hindering. Slightly woody notes appear then. Very good whisky, even if excellent grain whiskies lack the complexity of good malt whiskies. The finish is lingering, fruity with walnut hints after a while.
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Not in collection: North British

North British
1997-2009
Signatory Vintage

Age
 12 years
Alcohol percentage
 43%
Bottler
 Signatory Vintage
North British 1997

Comment by Johannes Sauer

Colour: Bright straw.
Nose: Easy and a tad spritty. If I’d not see the colour and know better, I could swear it is vodka in the glass after the first sniffs. But later it is getting more beautiful: Grass, waldmeister and vanilla together with a heavy accent of coconuts mingling very nice. The vodka note is still there and this is at all not unpleasant, since this nose reminds me highly of Zubrovka (being my favorite polish vodka, the one having a bison grass blade in the bottle).
Taste: Again very easily accessible, and again at first this schnappsy vodka impression. But, again later there is a very nice spicy side appearing, vanilla, cinnamon licorice with salmiak and white pepper, backed by very pleasureful bitter kitchen herbs like sage, parsley or rosemary. Also carrots and potatoes, yes, indeed carrots.
Finish: Getting more bitter together with a strong sweetness (dextrose) but leaving after a short while so the tongue is left alone, a little confused.
Conc.: An unusual and interesting but not very fulfilling dram, not tasting like whisky. But this is hardly to critisize, since it is made from the same ingredients like vodka, by a company producing tons of vodka ...
16/20

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Single Grain

If you want to make an "alphabetical journey" through the single grain distilleries, please click on one of the pagode roofs, according to the direction you want to follow

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