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Day 6 - KWM 2025 This Is Still Not An Advent Calendar

Posted on December 6, 2025

by Evan

Okay, for this blog, I solemnly promise: I will not reference Pernod Ricard. Seriously. There is no reason to turn this entirely blog into a one company love fest. I even mentioned them yesterday with Ardnahoe – a distillery they have nothing to do with as far as I am aware. How pathetic is that? Let’s set aside all of this Pernod Ricard talk for at least a little while. Instead, let’s talk about this Single Grain whisky!

This cool looking bottle with a picture of a medieval knight done up in a stained-glass on the label comes from The Whisky Trail. The Whisky Trail is a line owned by distiller and indie bottler Elixir Distillers, who also bottle the Single Malts of Scotland line as well as Port Askaig, Elements of Islay, and more. I am not sure how long Elixir had this specific cask of Strathclyde in its inventory, or who the purchased it from originally, but it was distilled in 1987 and bottled at a respectable 35 years of age and 46% ABV.

Strathclyde Distillery itself resides in Glasgow. It was founded in , and is owned by Chivas Brothers, whose parent company is Pernod Ric...

Well, shit.

So much for that promise. I am not sure how this year’s Advent Calendar has ended up so influenced by this company, but I should stop pretending to be surprised by it now, right? Pernod Ricard is the second l second-largest spirits company in the world, so it is difficult to dodge. The only company more difficult to ignore when it comes to Scotch Whisky especially is Diageo, whom are responsible for between one quarter and one third of the annual single malt whisky production in Scotland. Pernod Ricard only produces a miniscule 15% or so annually itself. However, it has been at least indirectly involved in the creation of four of the 6 drams we have featured thus far in the 2025 KWM Still Not An Advent Calendar Tasting Series – including this Strathclyde.

We might as well give in to the inevitable and see how Strathclyde became a Pernod Ricard owned venture at this point. Shall we?

Strathclyde Distillery was founded in 1927 by original owner Seager Evans and Co. The company did not originally build the distillery specifically to produce for single grain whisky for blending, instead focusing on neutral grain spirit production. Whisky production did not start in earnest until 1936, when Seager Evans acquired the Long John Whisky Blended Scotch Whisky brand. Like a few other Scottish grain distilleries operating in the mid-1900s, Strathclyde briefly had pot stills installed on site and produced Single Malt Whisky as well, under the name Kinclaith. The pot stills only ran between 1958 and 1975, and in 1977 single malt production was demolished, never to return.

Strathclyde moved to larger and larger hands as the whisky industry went through its merger and acquisitions phase in the mid to late 20th century. It eventually came to rest in Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard's hands in 2005, when the company acquired Strathclyde in the break-up of Allied-Domeq.

While it is nowhere near the largest grain distillery in Scotland, Strathclyde is capable of producing 40 million litres of spirit per year. It is dwarfed by the largest grain distilleryin Scotlandd – Cameronbridge – but then again, everything is. Cameronbridge can apparently produce well north of 130 million litres of alcohol each year. Cameronbridge Distillery is, of course, owned by Diageo.

Whisky Trail Knights Strathclyde 35 Year Old – 46%

Evan’s Tasting Note

Nose: Dusty but toasty grain (wheat?), oatmeal, linseed oil, sunflower seeds,ginger alee, a touch of cinnamon, freshly cut lumber, model glue, and a squeeze of lemon.

Palate: Juicy Sprite/7-Up notes along with lychee, citrus, shredded coconut, and lemon tarts.

Finish: Light and prickly with citrus and oak notes on the fade.

Comment: Pretty delicious, though straightforward.

Pretty straight-forward grain to be honest. Tasty though. I personally prefer the Canadian Club 41 Year we had on Day 4, which shocks me.

So, what have we learned in this tasting?

  • Single Grain Scotch can shows differently than Single Malt Scotch, but can be fun in its own way.
    • We probably already knew that, right?
  • Evan cannot be trusted to keep a promise.
    • This also will not be a big surprise for anyone.

See you tomorrow for Day 7 and some more broken promises!

Cheers,
Evan

This entry was posted in Whisky, Whisky Calendars, Tastings - Online Tasting, KWM 2025 Still Not An Advent Calendar Tastings

 

 

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