The much anticipated David Beckham endorsed single grain whisky, produced at Cameronbridge distillery. A combination of first-fill, rejuvenated and refill bourbon barrel-matured whiskies are used and Beckham, along with Simon Fuller, is very much involved in the development of the Haig Club brand.
The Haig dynasty meanwhile is the stuff of legend, with Robert Haig getting himself into trouble for distilling on the sabbath back in 1655! Cameronbridge was founded by John Haig in 1824, and a continuous still designed by Robert Stein (who was John's uncle) was soon installed at the site for the production of grain whisky, predating Aeneas Coffey's famous patent for his own version of the continuous still by a handful of years.
The grain whisky produced at Cameronbridge would naturally become integral to the well-loved Haig blended whiskies and now the Haig brand has been reinvented for a new generation and new markets. It may seem like a scary new world to some, but grain whisky is on the march, and Haig Club is at the very forefront.
It doesn't jump out at you, granted, but there's more here than meets the eye (/nose). Apple crumble, expressed lemon peel and a touch of mango. Millionaire's shortbread, banoffee pie, coconut milk, dried grass, orange Turkish delight and cardamom.
Toffee and vanilla with pleasant supporting oak notes. Fresh banana (neither overpowering nor artificial), a hint of nougat and honeycomb pieces.
Praline, cinnamon and a little ginger with perhaps a hint of cardamom returning right at the death.
Approachable, adaptable, good mouthfeel (I chucked some ice in afterwards and the texture was great). A hugely accessible whisky with tasty spice, toffee and, with the ice now, increasingly some tropical fruit notes too.
Revolting stuff. Sickly sweet and perfumed. I wouldn't be given a bottle
This is a fantastic bottle to put a candle in!
Got given a bottle HC as a gift, wish I'd never opened it. If you like your whisky flat, stale and dank then maybe this one is for you. Having a fancy blue bottle only serves to disguise the disappointing contents. Drink only with lashings of coke
Wanted to like it as it was a gift. Understand it's grain not malt. I like peaty single malts, a Dalwhinnie or some bourbons, have many good bottles and a few that weren't so good, but this is an odd one. Kind of smooth, subtle, but wishy washy and the finish isn't good. Not terrible like a cheap fiery blended Scoth but not good either. Bailie Nichol Jarvie blended is cheaper and much nicer. Will drink with coke next, a first since I developed a taste for nice whisky.
Very poor, no real taste or character. Designed to be drunk quickly with mixers.... which is not the point of a whiskey. It is basically neutral, effectively a vodka coloured to look like whiskey. Which raises the question of why it wants to be a whiskey. You could make something better in your bath.
