Goldenballs’ grain whisky: Haig Club

let’s begin

Grain whisky. It’s always been a rather divisive topic among whisky drinkers

Some see it as no more than blend fodder or a ‘poor man’s bourbon’ whilst others, who may have tried some cracking Clan Denny bottlings or Scotch Malt Whisky Society single casks, see it as a unique, albeit small, category in its own right. I’m firmly of the latter opinion. I’ve tasted some brilliant Caledonians, Girvans, Port Dundases, Invergordons etc over the years and they’ve opened my eyes to what I initially thought was a rather industrial, personality-less spirit. Recently, we’ve seen the launch of Girvan Patent Still whisky from William Grant & Sons and now it’s the turn of the big boys, Diageo .

Enter stage left the Haig Club […]

Haig Club
Single Grain Whisky
No Age Statement
40% ABV
£probablymorethanyouthink

Overall: Quite tasty. Considering it doesn’t come with an age statement we can probably say it’s youngish, and it’s better than most young grains I’ve tasted before. The mouthfeel is lovely and I have a feeling mixologists are going to have quite a bit of fun with this when it comes to creating cocktails. However, it looks like a bottle of aftershave, it’s a very simple liquid, and all I can picture when I think of it is Beckham’s H&M underwear ad… and I’m not that way inclined. A price tag of £25 would sit about right for me, anything over £35 for this product and we’re venturing in to the super-mega-ultra-premium category Diageo seem to have invented for themselves recently. I hope not, but with Beckham promoting it, you never know how far Diageo will think they can push that boundary.

Tags: David BeckhamGrain WhiskyHaigNASNPD

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.