Review #241 - Master of Malt Cambus 30 Year (1991 Vintage)
A bottling by Master of Malt, a UK-based online retailer of spirits - this is a 1991 vintage Cambus, a single grain whisky from Scotland. It aged for 30 years in a refill hogshead, though the previous contents of the cask are not specified - it could have been an ex-bourbon or ex-sherry cask.
Cambus, a closed distillery, created grain spirit up until 1993, so this bottling contains spirit from the last couple of years of production. It was closed in order to allow owners Diageo to focus on other projects, so the distillate is becoming more difficult to find, now that it's been closed for more than 30 years. Most of the distillery was demolished, but a few buildings are still in use by the drinks conglomerate, notably some warehouse space. On that site, a more recently built cooperage means the area still participates in whisky production, in a slightly different way.
Master of Malt Cambus 30 Year (1991 Vintage)
Scotland - Single Grain
Current Locally Available Price: USD 140 (2024)
Age Statement: 30 Years
Strength: 50.8% ABV
Cask Makeup: Refill hogshead
Details: Distilled May 1991, bottled June 2021; 100 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 5 times over 3 months; bottles at 80%, 50%, 90% (blind tasting), 50%, and 30% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: A noticeable grain influence coming through - softly floral, sweet, full of baking spices. Honey and oats, hay, brown sugar, and cinnamon were stronger notes, while soft flavors of vanilla, prune, fig, and honeycomb hid in the background. There isn't a lot of oak despite the 30 years of aging; becomes creamier with time.
Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel; oak is stronger now, along with lots of grain notes like oatmeal; baking spices of cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and nutmeg are plentiful. There are soft fruits like cranberry, or unripe strawberry, but those are very subtle; artificial vanilla and creamy grain continue to grow stronger as it progresses.
Finish: Warming and decent richness, with a hint of savory character; cinnamon, anise, vanilla, and nutmeg, this is all about baking spice. A creamy mouthfeel lingers into this finish, and there are oats, milk, and chalky grain in the aftertaste.
Final Note: Nice on the nose, but a little more simple on the palate and into the finish. Like a lot of single grain whiskies, the impact of aging here is much more gentle - those refill casks don't add a lot of mature oak notes to the experience. There was a bit of an overly creamy, borderline milky note with the oats on the back end that wasn't to our personal taste, as well, but it didn't seem like a quality issue.
In terms of the age statement, you'll be hard-pressed to find another 30 year old whisky near this price, at least in our market, especially for a closed distillery. In those terms, this shines, but in terms of the flavor delivered, this was a relatively simple dram - closer to average value, on flavor alone.
Our Average Rating: 6.8 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.50
Check out our other single grain whisky reviews:
