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.
I think maybe the myriad of bad reviews are coming from more seasoned scotch drinkers who are expecting bigger, bolder, or more complex. Drinking this after say a caol ila it will taste quite flat, but to me its more of a caramel sweet mellowness than it is 'fish' or what others have said. Once you know what it is and what to expect, I think the only problem here is really the price. For 1/3 less I'd be quite happy.
I have just started my journey into whisky. And this is my fourth bottle (after jura origin, jura superstition and glenlivet) I hadn't seen any of the adverts with bekham as this would of turned me off straight away. (Along with his bargain bucket aftershave). It was on offer in waitrose and if I'm honest the bottle took me in. Even with my uneducated pallete I could tell this was glasweigen gripe water from the first sip. Can't say I'm rich enough to tip this down the sink, but I will drink it all as punishment to remind me not to be taken by shiny trinkets. Avoid.
Tried it today not over impressed, I'm a big single malt whiskey fan tried this not having read these reviews don't thinking as bad as some paint it but most definitely not worth £45 a bottle (fortunately didn't pay that much). Don't know we're the tasters get the bullocks tasting notes from they must have been drinking a real whiskey not a pretender.
I initially read the reviews and thought to myself it must be one of those aquired tasting whiskies. So I went out and bought a bottle. Don't make the same mistake, not sure how they got away with bottling this, it's just plain terrible. Like I said you're paying for the bottle, I literally poured it out after the 2nd sip and filled it up with a bottle of Redbreast 12y old. Looks good on the shelf but save your money.
Needs to be in the Edinburgh fringe...!!
