Jazz music and a good single malt whisky, two things independent bottler Rick Van Diepen holds close to his heart. That's where Single Note was born, a combination of the owners' two true passions. When somebody is this passionate about their product, you know its going to be good.
Along with the Caol Ila 12 year old, this 2009 Port Dundas grain whisky forms the second release from Single Note.
Port Dundas distillery, located in Northern Glasgow (in an area sharing the same name) was once a powerhouse grain distillery, at one point the largest in Scotland, with the tallest brick chimney in the world!
Unfortunately, the owners Diageo decided to focus their grain distillation to another plant, and due to the high potential costs of modernisation, the entire Port Dundas distillery complex was demolished in 2011.
That was the end of Port Dundas, but the legacy lives on through a few remaining casks and independent releases such as this. This truly is a limited edition!
Single Note have taken a creative approach to this release, finishing this 11 year old grain whisky in a Pedro Ximénez sherry quarter cask.
Due to the smaller size and volume of a quarter cask, the spirit finished within has a higher percentage of surface area contact with the wood. As the wood does all the magic, these sort of finishes greatly intensify the resulting flavour and colour profile of a whisky.