“Merry Christmas”
Another year has passed by too quickly and we're on the brink of Christmas Eve 2016. Looking around the globe I can't say that 2016 has been a fantastic year. Too much violence, hatred, unemployment and dissatisfaction in many places. I can only hope that the positive forces will start fighting back in 2017 and make it a better year for everybody. As far as Whisky is concerned we are still being confronted with very high prices and the ongoing release of Special - and Limited Editions as well as the apparently unstoppable tsunami of indifferent NAS Whiskies with beautiful names and marketing stories. I believe these trends will stay with us a little longer. The good news is that all over the world new distilleries are being inaugurated to provide quality alternatives. Good luck to them all! An other alternative for today's mainstream distillery standard bottlings are the Independent bottlers. Although I do believe they will find it harder and harder to purchase good quality casks from the distilleries as they need those casks themselves to comply with ever growing world wide demand. To honour the Independent bottlers I have chosen the 15 Year old 1997 Glen Elgin, bottled by Gordon & MacPhail as my Christmas Dram. I bought this bottle at the Whiskybase shop in Rotterdam, the Netherlands earlier this year following the advice of shopkeeper Menno.
Finally I would like to wish all my Whisky friends and their families a Merry Christmas. I also wish for a better 2017. The World and the Whisky deserve it!
Cheers!
Jan
“The Christmas Review”
Region: Speyside
Brand: Glen Elgin 1997
Bottled by: Gordon & MacPhail, Elgin (Connoisseurs Choice Series)
Bottled by: Gordon & MacPhail, Elgin (Connoisseurs Choice Series)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 15 Years
Age: 15 Years
ABV: 46%
Chill-Filtration: No
Whisky Review # 583
Buying Advice: Positive. Good Sherried Speysider. Adequate Price- Quality Ratio.
Colour: Amber (Natural Colour)
Palate: Good but not spectacular delivery. This Malt deserves to be bottled at Cask Strength in my opinion. It's still mainly Sweet but the Oak and Spices are much stronger than the Nose would suggest. Some Dried Herbs appear as well. I also find Sweet Malted Barley, Cake with Cream and Mixed Fruit, Heather-Honey, Orange Marmalade, Dried Apricot, Roasted Nuts, Toffee, Cinnamon, light Ginger, Pepper and Vanilla.
Finish: Middle-Long, Creamy and Sweet. A bit Dry and Woody in the end. I find Malted Barley, Heather-Honey, Caramel, Dried Apricot, Orange Marmalade, Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger, Milk-Hazelnut Chocolate and a hint of Aniseed.
Rating: 88
Chill-Filtration: No
Whisky Review # 583
Buying Advice: Positive. Good Sherried Speysider. Adequate Price- Quality Ratio.
Colour: Amber (Natural Colour)
Nose: Sweet and Fruity. The Ex-Sherry casks were pretty active as is evidenced by the Colour and the Aromas. I find Sweet Barley, Demerara Sugar, Buttered Cake, Bounty Candy Bars, Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Roasted Nuts, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Apricot, Tinned Pineapple, Sugared Dates, Mixed Ripe Citrus Fruit, Banana Liqueur, Papaya Cream, slightly Sour Apples, Hay and Cinnamon. Oak and Alcohol are present but they are reasonably well-integrated. I would not go as far as to call this Glen Elgin a heavy Sherry Bomb but the Fresh - and Dried Sweet (Tropical) Fruit Aromas do lead the way.
Palate: Good but not spectacular delivery. This Malt deserves to be bottled at Cask Strength in my opinion. It's still mainly Sweet but the Oak and Spices are much stronger than the Nose would suggest. Some Dried Herbs appear as well. I also find Sweet Malted Barley, Cake with Cream and Mixed Fruit, Heather-Honey, Orange Marmalade, Dried Apricot, Roasted Nuts, Toffee, Cinnamon, light Ginger, Pepper and Vanilla.
Finish: Middle-Long, Creamy and Sweet. A bit Dry and Woody in the end. I find Malted Barley, Heather-Honey, Caramel, Dried Apricot, Orange Marmalade, Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger, Milk-Hazelnut Chocolate and a hint of Aniseed.
You can add a little Water to this Glen Elgin although it does not significantly change the profile. I did get some slightly Sour Apples on the Palate. As usual I prefer to sip it neat.
Rating: 88
Nose: 22.5 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 22 - Overall: 22
General Remarks: The Glen Elgin I'm tasting today was distilled in 1997. It matured for 15 Years in a mix of 1st Fill - and Re-Fill Ex-Sherry Casks. It was bottled by Independent Bottler Gordon & MacPhail in 2012. The price varies between 70 - and 90 US Dollars depending on where you live (December 2016). It might not be easy to find though as it is sold out in many places.
The Glen Elgin distillery is located 4 miles south of Elgin in the village of Fogwatt close to the A 941. It was founded in 1898 by James Carle and William Simpson. It had its ups and downs but was finally bought by DCL in 1930. Today it's part of the Diageo Group and became one of their Classic Malts range in 2005. The 12 years is the Standard bottling but most of Glen Elgin's production is used in Blends like White Horse and Bell's.
Drinking Experience Neat: Very Nice. If only this Glen Elgin would have been bottled at Cask Strength!
General Remarks: The Glen Elgin I'm tasting today was distilled in 1997. It matured for 15 Years in a mix of 1st Fill - and Re-Fill Ex-Sherry Casks. It was bottled by Independent Bottler Gordon & MacPhail in 2012. The price varies between 70 - and 90 US Dollars depending on where you live (December 2016). It might not be easy to find though as it is sold out in many places.
The Glen Elgin distillery is located 4 miles south of Elgin in the village of Fogwatt close to the A 941. It was founded in 1898 by James Carle and William Simpson. It had its ups and downs but was finally bought by DCL in 1930. Today it's part of the Diageo Group and became one of their Classic Malts range in 2005. The 12 years is the Standard bottling but most of Glen Elgin's production is used in Blends like White Horse and Bell's.
Drinking Experience Neat: Very Nice. If only this Glen Elgin would have been bottled at Cask Strength!
Conclusion: I was pleasantly surprised by this Glen Elgin. In general it is a well-balanced sherried Speysider. Quite Sweet and Fruity on the Nose. Palate and Finish are still mainly sweet but Wood and Spices make themselves known as well. It's a pleasure to sip this Whisky and it will combine very nicely with the Spiced Christmas Cakes. I will also serve it after our Christmas-Dinner this year and I'm already looking forward to it. Thanks for the tip Menno!
Jan van den Ende December 22, 2016
Someday at Christmas at Glen Elgin
