Review #669 - Cadenhead's Girvan 33 Year (1991) Single Grain
Girvan is a grain distillery located in South Ayrshire, in Scotland. It's one of the largest distilleries in Scotland, with its 5 column stills capable of producing well over 100 million litres of spirit per annum. The distillery, which previously shared a site with now-closed single malt distillery Ladyburn, is owned by William Grant & Sons (owners of Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Kininvie, and Ailsa Bay), and is primarily used for the Grant's blends.
The grain whisky made at Girvan is now primarily made with wheat, along with a small amount of malted barley, which adds key enzymes to the whisky mash during fermentation. Previously, the dominant grain used in Scottish grain whisky production was corn, but in the 1980s, wheat became more cost effective and was widely adopted. Now, essentially all grain distilleries use a wheat-heavy mashbill, other than North British, which still employs a high-corn recipe.
Because of the huge production volume from this distillery, along with a resurgence in the popularity of single grain whiskies, Girvan can now be found via a number of bottlers. Like most single grains, these casks are generally bottled at a higher age, as grain whisky takes longer to develop complexity due to the regular use of older, more tired ex-bourbon casks for initial maturation.
This example from Cadenhead's Original Collection boasts a 33 year age statement - it was distilled in 1991 and bottled in 2024. All of the casks involved were ex-bourbon barrels, and this is bottled at a strength of 46% ABV.
Cadenhead's Girvan 33 Year (1991) Single Grain
Scotland - Single Grain
Price: USD 249 (2025)
Age Statement: 33 Years
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon barrels
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled 1991, bottled September 2024
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 90% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: It's quite mellow, with a combination of caramel sweetness and some oak. It almost smells a bit bourbon-like; creamy notes build, especially vanilla, and it's a sweet nose overall.
Palate: There's nice texture from wood oils, giving this a medium thickness mouthfeel. Wood spice and tannins add a kick, but caramel and brown sugar add plenty of sweet flavors. Vanilla returns from the nose; it's relatively simple overall.
Finish: Buttered popcorn, some wood tannins, and caramel - it's nicely rounded and balanced. The finish has a medium length; in the aftertaste, we get a subtle dark fruit note.
Final Note: This is a pleasant, if simple, single grain whisky. The sweet grain and strong oak notes are a classic combination when it comes to this style of whisky, especially with a decent amount of age; the influence of those ex-bourbon barrels is plain to see with the vanilla and caramel notes. While this did have a decent amount of oak influence, it didn't quite show the 'old' or 'polished' oak notes that we sometimes get in 30+ year old whiskies.
Value is below average due to the high cost; while the price is good for this age statement in general, this one lacks some complexity that would elevate the score, and therefore the value, to the next level.
Our Average Rating: 6.5 / 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: 4.13
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
