This 1964 distillate has a nose of rich toffee, weighty oak, allspice, antique hardback books, dried apple, cracker bread, and banana chips. A fairy tale taste of red apple perfection, as if Snow White polished it on her skirt. This ripens to encompass gumdrops and lollipops. Golden syrup, lime zest, caramel, and vanilla bleed into a conclusion of nutmeg, oak, and apple peel. An auspicious moment for grain whisky. (752 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2017)

You can feel the power, taut and straining, underneath the sweet nose of powdered sugar, sliced banana in custard, packing straw from tea chests, apple fritters, and sweet oak. There’s instant gratification, as this colossal whisky is fit to burst with honey, tropical fruits, apple, melon, and strawberry candy. Water adds shafts of sweetness to the nose and more jamminess to the palate. Made in Glasgow in the fall of 1988 and delivered at perfect drinking strength: they’ve bottled sunshine. (154 bottles) £90

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2015)

There’s little quality Port Dundas being bottled, so don’t pass up the opportunity for this one. It evokes aromas of grated milk chocolate, grilled pancakes, apricot, mango, and poached pear Jell-O, with spice notes of ground cumin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This is simply delicious: a honey pot of sticky sweetness. A rich, cask strength grain whisky with notes of mandarin and candied jellies. A dash of water enables the sweet, creamy flavors to swirl around the mouth. £64

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2014)

Can it really be six years since the distillery closed and they demolished the chimney stack? This nose has a much stronger grain character than the other two Old Particular releases, so one to try before you buy. Beach driftwood and toasted spice aromas, with flavors of warm butterscotch, mandarin, and peach on a peppery base, shuffling into dried fruits and muscovado sugar before a spicy nougat finish. This is hardcore. (K&L Wines exclusive, 243 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2017)

Vanilla ice cream drizzled in caramel and speared with a couple of wafers. Ground hazelnut, faint dashes of cinnamon, and garam masala complete the nose. A brief opener of rich toffee and tangy citrus is overrun with a piquant, acidic rush and nippy alcohol flare. It’s actually light in texture, and a largely absorbing experience, ending on some dusty marshmallow notes, though never losing the tanginess. Water accentuates the tangerine and mandarin but negates the mallow candy flavors. (264 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2016)

Red apple skin, sharp citrus zest, peach stone, and shortcake biscuit greet the nose, though there is abundant grain character, with lemongrass and coriander seeds too. A muscular dram from a closed distillery, this reveals sweet cereals, honey, a spectrum of citrus notes, sherbet sweetness, pepper, clove, and herbal notes. Sweetness remains with the pepper in the finish, though clove reigns supreme when water is added.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

This is a little darker in color than its younger counterpart (see below), although it is achieved without the complex recipe of different cask maturation that characterized the 2011 Special Releases bottling. Weetabix, hazelnut shells, and the aroma of warm pretzels from a street vendor waft out of the glass. It’s a soft, silky, wheat-flavored whisky that reaches into dark toffee and nutty territory. Imagine a molten toffee crisp, if you like. A nougat and walnut-whip finish. Distinctively different.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2016)

It’s been four years since Diageo last released an official single grain whisky from this Glasgow distillery. This will kick off your evening with its aromas of golden syrup flapjacks, light vanilla sponge fingers, and waxy linseeds. The American oak notes are all over this: vanilla, sweet granola, and pecan, yet there is a squeeze of lemon and a square of milk chocolate too. The creamy finish has real length and makes this a most accessible grain whisky.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2016)

Vicks inhaler (menthol, camphor, and pine needle oil), freshly unwrapped sticks of spearmint gum, cilantro, and root ginger make for a stimulating, if not exactly charming olfactory experience. Mouth-filling and structured with good weight, this has sweet orange and a mild gingery glow. Although there are fleeting vegetal notes, it stays just sweet of the middle. Close heat on the finish, saturating the taste buds with spice and dark citrus. £83

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2016)

Squished rosehip, nuttiness, and seasoned wood, but there is little else of note on this one. The palate has corn sweetness, red fruits, pomegranate, cherry lips, and descends into soor ploom territory with more oak wood. The finish continues the woody theme with a residual baked apple note.  Port Dundas can be wonderful to drink, but with no shortage of good to great grain whisky on the market, I feel this one is past its best. (258 bottles) £90

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2016)