Girvan 1988 27 Year (The Exclusive Malts)

The aroma is quite harsh initially, with strong alcohol and solvent scents. It nearly cleared my sinuses completely while I was battling a cold! This needs a few extra minutes to mellow. It's very grainy with some rum sweetness and a good amount of oak. I also detected green apples, floral notes, honey, and a little vanilla. Wood glue and old rubber were present, but not terrible. Dried banana and Windex were also there. I added water to see if it would help; it did, but not significantly. More apples and honey appeared, but not much else. It presents a strange mix of scents, but the negative aspects outweigh the positive. The palate arrives hot, even at 50% ABV. It's better than I anticipated after the nose's intensity. I tasted silver or light rum and oak. Cinnamon apples, vegetal notes, and some bitterness were present, along with bourbon notes, but not pleasant ones. Water reduced the heat considerably but also washed away most of the flavor. The mouthfeel is very hot yet light. It's a bit oily. The finish is medium length, dry, and features rum-flavored glue and oak. This is a below-average whisky for me. The alcohol and solvent notes on the nose were too much to overcome. It's comparable to a cheap rum mixed with cheaper bourbon and a few drops of acetone to completely ruin your palate. For $40, it's overpriced by $30. It's not the worst I've ever had, but it's far from the best. Thanks to a friend for the sample. Glad to be done with this one. 2.25

Note: This review is for Exclusive Grain 10 yr old rum finished Girvan. I saw the terrible reviews. It can't be that awful, can it? I'm pouring the sample from a friend. Perhaps there's some good news. There's a strong scent of industrial cleaning products. It smells of rubber, chewing gum (like the kind found in packs of cards), rubber cement, and rubbing alcohol. Among the more natural scents: apples, bananas, and vanilla. An unusual aroma, for sure. Hmm. Strange and unusual. It reminds me of rum-soaked Raisin Bran cereal, vanilla sweetness, super glue (if I could imagine the smell of super glue) with a dusting of cinnamon spice. The finish has notes of ginger, toothpicks, and nail polish. It would be almost fair to say this isn't a scotch or whisky. It's more like a cheap rum for mixing that has industrial characteristics. I don't think there's much more to say. Don't waste your time or your money. [62/100][Tasted: 4/20/18]

Note: this is for the Exclusive Grain 10-year-old rum with a Girvan finish. This was a difficult one to experience overall. I detected the same sawdust notes mentioned by another reviewer, along with rubbing alcohol and a faint hint of the rum cask. The palate was reminiscent of drinking Pledge or Pine-Sol. It had medicinal qualities, but not the pleasant kind. Significant oak presence, which reminded me why I dislike bourbon. Some vanilla and sweetness offered a slight redemption, but the alcohol burn overwhelmed any positive aspects. I admire the band, but this is comparable to Nine Inch Nails' 'March of the Pigs.' My thanks to the distillery for the opportunity to try it. Perhaps grain whisky simply isn't to my taste.

Note: This is for Girvan 10 year old rum, finished with Exclusive Grain. It was one of my offerings to our small group for Scottish sample swaps. We maintain a roster of all active Scottish distilleries, and each quarter, we pick some to mail to the rest of the group. We then rate the samples. This particular sample will undoubtedly receive the "best candidate for spitting out" award from all of us. It's awful. Might work as paint thinner.