“Glenn Gothenburg”
Country: Scotland
Brand: Glenn Batch # 1 SE
Blended and Bottled By: Svenska Eldvatten, Sweden
Blended and Bottled By: Svenska Eldvatten, Sweden
Type: Blended Scotch Malt Whisky
Age: NAS
ABV: 50%
Colour: Pale Gold
Nose: Quite Young. I would say that the majority of the Malts used in this Blend matured in Refill Ex-Bourbon Casks. But there's evidence of the odd Ex-Sherry Cask as well. And I would not be surprised if some Ex-Wine casks were also used. It's certainly not a Peat Bomb despite the presence of Laphroaig and Bowmore. The Peat, Smoke and Brine are there but their presence is quite subdued. It's much more a Highland Blend with some Islay mixed in to give it a light smoky touch. I find Young Alcohol, Green Apple, Red Fruit Muffins, Vanilla, Dried Fruit, Lemon Peel, light Heather Honey, Refill Oak, Sweet Barley, light Pepper and traces of White Chocolate. It's not bad but the Spirit is still a bit Raw and Edgy. The ABV is a tad too high in my opinion. The way it is, the Alcohol plays a very dominant role.
Palate: Raw and quite Sweet at first. I find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Toffee, Nuts, Dried Fruits, light Heather Honey, very light Peat and Smoke, Fruity New Make Spirit (Pears and Green Apples), Citrus Peel and Red Berries. Later on Spices such as Pepper, Nutmeg and Cinnamon appear along with some Salted Licorice.
Finish: Middle-Long. Sweet and Spicy at First. Dry and Herbal towards the end.
I find Sweet Barley, Nougat, Vanilla, Toffee, Dried Fruits, Red Fruit, Nuts, Oak, New Make Spirit, very light Peat and Smoke, Dried Herbs, Pepper and light Licorice.
I find Sweet Barley, Nougat, Vanilla, Toffee, Dried Fruits, Red Fruit, Nuts, Oak, New Make Spirit, very light Peat and Smoke, Dried Herbs, Pepper and light Licorice.
This Blended Malt does not accept Water very well despite the high ABV. This might indicate that the high ABV helps to cover up some of the deficiencies of the Raw Young Spirit.
Rating: 80
Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 19.5 - Overall: 20
General Remarks:
Svenska Eldvatten ("Swedish Firewater") is an independent bottler of Whisky, Rum and other Spirits and is owned and run by Tommy Andersen and Peter Sjogren. They buy casks of Whisky, mainly in Scotland, bottle them either as Single Malts or Blended Malts and sell them in Sweden.
Glenn Batch # 1 only comprises of 300 bottles of 500 ml, bottled in 2013. You might still find some in the secondary market, priced today at around 100 US Dollars. Batch # 1 is a Blend of 5 Single Malts and is said to contain Laphroaig, Bowmore and Glengoyne Malt.
Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good
Picture Credit: Eldvatten SE
General Remarks:
Svenska Eldvatten ("Swedish Firewater") is an independent bottler of Whisky, Rum and other Spirits and is owned and run by Tommy Andersen and Peter Sjogren. They buy casks of Whisky, mainly in Scotland, bottle them either as Single Malts or Blended Malts and sell them in Sweden.
Glenn Batch # 1 only comprises of 300 bottles of 500 ml, bottled in 2013. You might still find some in the secondary market, priced today at around 100 US Dollars. Batch # 1 is a Blend of 5 Single Malts and is said to contain Laphroaig, Bowmore and Glengoyne Malt.
Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good
Conclusion: The idea behind this Blend is not at all bad. I like Peated Highland/ Speyside Whisky and some peated BenRiachs and Benromachs are among my all time favourites. But a really good result depends not only on the quality of the Spirit used. It also requires sufficient maturation time and first class Wood management. However, the Glenn Batch 1 is basically a young Blend although some older Spirit may have been used as well. And it mostly matured in regular Refill Ex- Bourbon casks. Therefore we can't expect something really out of the ordinary. The Glenn Batch 1 is a decent Blend and that's all there is to is. But, given its Youth, the price is quite Peppery.
Jan van den Ende October 19, 2015
