Cameronbridge whiskies

History

The Haig family, one of Scotland’s oldest distilling dynasties, founded Cameronbridge at the beginning of the 19th century. Some of the first continuous stills were tried out there, making it possible to distil grain more efficiently than in traditional copper pot stills, and that technology changed the history of Scotch whisky by making blends possible. At the beginning of the 20th century the distillery became part of the Distillers Company and, through later mergers, ended up with Diageo. Today it is a huge industrial complex that has been modernised several times.

House style

Cameronbridge’s grain whisky is light, sweet and clean, with notes of vanilla, sweet cereal, coconut and caramel, and a much more delicate body than a malt’s. Matured in bourbon casks, it gains smoothness and creamy notes. It has no peat and no rough edges, which is why it is used as a base to give volume and roundness to blends. The variations depend mainly on cask type and maturation time rather than on the spirit.

Where to start

Haig Club Clubman is the way into grain whisky: a light, sweet and very smooth single grain, designed mainly for mixing and for long drinks. It is interesting for discovering what grain brings to blends; try it next to a Speyside malt to notice the difference in body. It also works well with plenty of ice and soda, which is how the brand presents it.

• Haig Club ClubmanSingle grain · 40% ABV