Glen Scotia 15 Years Review

“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”

Whisky Review # 742

Country: Scotland

Region: Campbeltown

Brand: Glen Scotia

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 15 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: American Oak with a short Refill-Oloroso cask Finish
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 55-70 (June 2018)
Buying Advice:😃 Interesting Medium Dirty Campbeltown Malt. Good P/Q ratio!

Colour:

Copper with shades of Orange (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Sweet with a few Sour, Salty and Musty notes. A distant hint of Sulphur perhaps but nothing serious. The Sherry cask Finish is noticeable. The Alcohol is there as well but does not truly interfere with the Nosing procedures. In fact, the Nose is sufficiently interesting. Be sure to give this Glen Scotia at least half an hour in the glass to open it up.

Main Aromas:

Malted Barley, Buttered Toast, Apricot-Filled Pastry, Vanilla, Salty Caramel, Rum soaked Raisins, Treacle, slightly Bitter Orange, Ripe Apples, Charred Oak and Hazelnuts.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Floral Soap, Grass/Straw, Grapefruit, Lemon-Pepper, Dried and Fresh Herbs, Tinned Pineapple, Dusty Book Shelves, Ginger, Espresso, Leather and cured Meat.

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet and Dry with a few Sour, Dirty and Musty notes. The Alcohol is noticeable by now although the overall feel is a little on the Thin side.

Main Flavours:

Malted Barley, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Treacle, Brown Sugar, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Apricot, Nuts, Straw, Charred Oak, Seville Orange, Dark Chocolate, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger and Cloves.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Dried Herbs, Apple Cider, Grapefruit, Lemon, Tinned Pineapple, Mint, Espresso, Cured Meat and a Metallic note.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet, a little Dirty, quite Tannic and Dry towards the end. I find Toasted Cereals, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Treacle, Caramel, Seville Oranges, Dirty Earth, Charred Oak, Straw, Dried Fruit (Raisins and Apricots), Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Menthol, Heather-Honey, Dried Herbs, Dark Chocolate, Black Coffee, mature Bourbon, Metal (Iron) and Leather. Despite the adequate ABV the overall feel is ever so slightly Watery. A pity!

Drinking Advice:

The Glen Scotia 15 Years does not improve with added Water.

Rating: 84.5

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21

Drinking Experience:

Good.

Conclusion:

The Glen Scotia Distillery was founded in 1832 and is located in Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsular. It's one of the only three surviving distilleries in Campbeltown along with Springbank and Glengyle. The current owner is a Glasgow based Blending House called Loch Lomond Distillery. A new range was launched in 2015. It consists of the 15 Years and two NAS Expressions, the Double Cask and the Victoriana. We visited the distillery in May 2017. We were lucky and got a private Tour and Tasting.

The Glen Scotia 15 Years is an interesting Campbeltown Single Malt with a good Price/Quality ratio. It's not as Dirty and Funky as its neighbour Springbank but it has sufficient character to distinguish itself from today's mainstream boring Malt Whisky. If you like Springbank, Arran, Tobermory and Benromach, you should give this Glen Scotia a try. It's not perfect but you won't be disappointed!

The pictures were taken during our visit to the distillery in May 2017

Balblair 2000 1st Release Review - Tullibardine 1993 Review - Tomatin Cu Bocan Review - Tomatin 1994 (Berry's) Review

“Highland Special # 2”

Introduction:

Most of you know that I mainly use samples and miniatures when preparing my Reviews. I usually buy these in Holland and sometimes in Germany or the UK. Sometimes I receive samples from friends or readers or independent bottlers. In only two cases I received a few samples directly from distilleries. When planning my reviews for the coming months I always try to give attention to all Scottish Whisky regions as well as other Whisky/Whiskey/Bourbon producing regions all over the world with special attention to the USA, Ireland and Japan. And last but not least the blends. At the request of many readers I give preference to more recent expressions. As a result, my backlog of older samples has increased quite a bit. To do justice to those samples I will review them in the format of Specials. These specials will deal with a specific region like today or with specific bottlers, countries or distilleries. The reviews in these Specials will concentrate on the Whisky and won't touch too much details about distilleries, maturation etc. I do hope you will like these Specials just as much as my regular reviews and I look forward to your reactions and suggestions. In this special I will review four Highland Single Malts. Enjoy!

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Whisky Review # 738

Country: Scotland

Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Balblair 2000 Vintage - 1st Release - Bottled 2010 - Discontinued

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 10 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: First-Fill Ex Bourbon Casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: Around US$ 60 (June 2018)
Buying Advice: 😒 Negative. Alcohol and Bitterness are in control.

Colour:

White Wine (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Relatively Young, Medium-Sweet, Floral and quite Malty. The casks haven't been very active as there is still a New Make feeling to this Balblair.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Wheat Biscuits, Yeast, Salted Caramel, Heather-Honey, Floral Soap, Green Apple, Banana, Caffe Latte and Bounty Candy Bars.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Pear, Tinned Pineapple, Charred Oak, Dusty Road, Dried Apricot, Herbal Tea, Lemon and Milk Chocolate.

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet, Young, Edgy, Floral, Malty, Yeasty and Hot.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Heather-Honey, Yeast, Grass, Gooseberry, Grapefruit, Lemon, Bitter Orange, Floral Soap, Cinnamon, Pepper and Nutmeg.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Salted Caramel, Banana, Bounty Candy Bars, Cheap White Wine, Charred Oak, Tinned Pineapple, Green Apple, Pear, Nuts, Ginger and Cocoa Powder.

Finish:

Middle-Long and quite Hot. The Alcohol is rather present. Sugary Sweet at first but with increasing Bitterness towards the Medium-Dry end. I find Malt, Honey, Yeast, Grass, Straw, Charred Oak, Floral Soap, Caramel, Grapefruit, Lemon-Flavoured Detergent, Bitter Dark Chocolate, Pear, Green Apple, Bitter Orange, Pepper, Nutmeg and Ginger.

Drinking Advice:

I added a few drops of Water and you will get a bit of extra Fruit on the Nose. Something like Unripe Peach. Palate and Finish become Thin though and begin to resemble German Fruit Liqueur (Obstler).

Rating: 79

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 19 - Overall: 19.5

Drinking Experience:

Okay. Not really Pleasant.

Conclusion:

Balblair is located in Edderton (Tain) and is one of the oldest Scottish distilleries. It was founded in 1790. Since 1996 it is owned by Inver House Distillers, a part of the Thai Beverages PLC. In 2007 the entire range was relaunched on the basis of Vintages instead of Age Statements. Glenrothes does this as well. The Spirit is also used in Blends like Hankey Bannister and Inver House. The visitor centre was only opened in 2012. We visited this great looking distillery in May 2017 and did a very nice tour. Extra attention is paid to the fact the distillery was part of the set for the movie "The Angels Share" released in 2012.

The Balblair 2000 Vintage was released in July 2010. I must admit I didn't enjoy it at all. There's a New Make Spirit feel to this Malt and the Alcohol spills a lot of the Nosing and Tasting Fun. It tastes like a Half-Finished product if you get my rap. It's relatively Light with lots of Floral and Citrus notes which would make it suitable as an aperitif whisky on a warm Summer day if not for the Bitter notes that pop up all over the place. It has been discontinued in the meantime and that's quite okay as far as I'm concerned. Not a Single Malt I would recommend.

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Whisky Review # 739

Country: Scotland

Region: Highlands

Brand: Tullibardine 1993 Vintage - Discontinued.

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS (Probably around 12 Years old)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Most Likely Refill Ex-Bourbon casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 40-48 (June 2018)
Buying Advice: 😐 Not bad but utterly forgettable.

Colour:

White Wine (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Light, Floral, Fruity and slightly Mineral. A typical Summer Dram. The Alcohol is noticeable.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Orange, Green Apple, Refill Oak, Lemon, Milk Chocolate and Grass/Straw.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Caramel, Pear, Floral Perfume, Almonds, Cinnamon, Tinned Pineapple, Bounty Candy Bars and Marzipan.

Palate:

Light, Bitter Sweet and a little Thin. Later versions have been bottled at 43% and that would seem just about right for this Spirit.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Butter Kekse, Vanilla, Grass/Straw, Green Apple, Orange, Refill Oak, Milk Chocolate, Pepper, Cinnamon and Mint.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Toffee, Caramel, Porridge, Heather-Honey, Almonds, Grapefruit, Pear, Green Tea, Alcohol and Fresh Herbs.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Malty and Sweet. A light Bitterness towards the Dry end. I find Toasted Barley, Porridge with a dollop of Butter, Vanilla, Caramel, Green Apple, Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Honey, Refill Oak, Caffe Latte, Cocoa Powder, Pepper, Mint and Ginger. The Alcohol is still noticeable. Hints of Wet Newspaper and Licorice after a while. The 40% ABV leaves it all a bit Thin.

Drinking Advice:

This Tullibardine does not improve with added Water.

Rating: 82

Nose: 21 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

Drinking Experience:

Okay/Good. A little boring!

Conclusion:

Tullibardine is a relatively young distillery, located in Blackford (Pertshire). It was founded in 1949. It changed hands a couple of times but since 2011 the distillery is owned by Picard Vins et Spiritueux from France. It produces around 3 million litres per year at the moment. We visited the distillery in May 2017 and thoroughly enjoyed the tour!

In 2014 I bought a miniature of the 1993 Vintage and I'm using that in today's Tasting session. I think I bought it in Elgin but I'm not absolutely sure. The label of this miniature bottle does not mention when it was bottled. Since it carries the old label and a 40% ABV it's highly likely it was bottled in or around 2006. So I will assume it's in fact around 12 Years old. I also don't have information with respect to maturation but based on Colour and Nose I will assume that this Tullibardine matured in Ex-Bourbon casks.

The Tullibardine 1993 Vintage is not really bad but it's a bit boring and utterly forgettable. The low ABV, the Chill-Filtration, the added Caramel and the so-so casks are to blame for this acceptable but lackluster Single Malt. Later versions were bottled at 43% and that's at least something. The 1993 Vintage has been discontinued in the meantime and a new core range was introduced in 2013. This new core range includes the NAS Sovereign and it's quite similar in profile to this 1993 Vintage. So go for that one if you liked the above Tasting notes!

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Whisky Review # 740

Country: Scotland

Region: Highlands

Brand: Tomatin Cu Bocan - Lightly Peated (15 ppm)

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Casks (50%), Sherry Wood (30%) & Virgin Oak(20%)
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 40-55 (June 2018)
Buying Advice: 😑 Okay at 40 Dollars. Peat lovers should look elsewhere!

Colour:

Golden Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Light & Young. The Virgin Oak is easily recognisable. Only modest Peat/Smoke. On the Nose, the Cu Bocan is quite Citrusy. Some Mineral, Green and Sour notes as well.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Butter Kekse, Butterscotch, Heather-Honey, Grapefruit, Orange, Lemon, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Sultanas, Banana, Nuts, Coconut Milk, Mint, Milk Chocolate, Papaya Cream and Caffe Latte.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Smoke, Earth, Grass, Straw, Floral Perfume, Pear, White Wine, Sour Berries, Fresh Herbs, Wet Rocks, New Oak, Pepper and Ginger.

Palate:

Young and Light. A little bit more Smoke now. Mainly Bitter-Sweet. A few Sour and Yeasty notes as well.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Virgin Oak, Seville Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Green Apple, Milk Chocolate, Caffe Latte, Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves and Menthol.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Smoke, Earth, Dusty Road, Salty Caramel, White Wine, Sour White Grape, Pear, Nuts, Bounty Candy Bars, Grass, Straw, Heather-Honey and Tropical Fruit.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Edgy and Artificially Sweet. A light Bitterness towards the Medium Dry end. The Alcohol is rather present. This is still a Young Whisky. I would think it's 6-8 Years old. I find Toasted Cereals, Virgin Oak, Caramel, Herbal Tea, light Peat and Smoke, Dusty Road, Orange, Grapefruit, Honey, Sour Grapes, Pepper,  Salt, Cinnamon, Ginger and Menthol.

Drinking Advice:

I added a few drops of Water and you'll get a bit more Malt and Smoke on the Nose. Heather-Honey and Seville Oranges as well. Palate and Finish don't take Water very well. Better sip it Neat.

Rating: 81

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

Drinking Experience:

Okay/Good.

Conclusion:

Tomatin was founded in 1897 by the Tomatin Spey Distillery Company. In 1985 the distillery went into liquidation and was bought in 1987 by Takara Shuzo Co. and Okara & Co, both from Japan which was quite remarkable at that time. In fact, Tomatin was the first Scottish distillery that became fully owned by Japanese companies. Currently the shares are being hold by Takara Shuzo (81%)  Marubeni (14%) and Kokubu (5%). Tomatin has always been a distillery that produced large quantities of Spirit for Blends but in the last 10 years they started to concentrate on producing and marketing Single Malts. As a result, the production decreased from well over 10 million litres in the 1970's/1980's to around 1,7 million litres this year. They still produce Blends as well though. (Antiquary, Big T and the Talisman). Today's Single Malt core range includes the NAS Legacy, the Cu Bocan, the 12, 18 and 36 years. In 2016, new packaging and bottles were introduced for the entire core range.

During one week in every year, the distillery produces a peated Single Malt. The lightly peated Cu Bocan (15 ppm) I'm reviewing today was launched in 2013. According to the legend, the name refers to a ghostly dog that roamed Tomatin and surroundings for many years. A distillery worker once saw the beast. As he wanted to touch its skin, the dog went up in a puff of ghostly smoke. What a story! Around 13.000 bottles are released every year.

The Cu Bocan is another one of these Young and Modern Malts. Nothing special but with a nice story, a little Peat and some Virgin Oak. It's okay I guess but that's about it. Nothing to get excited about. No Wow factor, no surprises, no Depth. Okay if you can pick it up at around 40 US Dollars. Next patient!

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Picture Credit: The Whisky Specialist

Whisky Review # 741

Country: Scotland

Region: Highlands

Brand: Tomatin 1994
Bottled By: Berry's (Berry Bros & Rudd) in 2014

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Whisky - Cask 6393
Age: 20 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 51% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Info not available. Most likely: Refill Ex-Bourbon cask
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 140-150 (June 2018)
Buying Advice:😀 Nice Highlander. A touch too much Wood & Spice!

Colour:

Pale Gold (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Quite Fresh for a 20 Year old. Sweet and Sour. A few Dusty Dunnage Warehouse and Mineral notes. The Alcohol is there but not in an annoying way.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Vanilla, Green Apple or Apple Vinegar, Dusty Oak, Caffe Latte, Milk Chocolate, Cinnamon, Orange and Mint.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Corn Flakes, Toffee, Heather-Honey, Pear, Banana, Lemon, Aniseed, Dusty Road  and Floral Soap.

Palate:

A combination of Bitter, Sweet and Sour notes. The Alcohol, Wood & Spices are much more noticeable than on the Nose. A little Mineral as well.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Banana, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Honeydew Melon, Cinnamon, Pepper, Milk Chocolate and Menthol.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Toffee, Mandarin, Floral Soap, Nutmeg, Aniseed, Papaya Cream and a very distant puff of Smoke.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Fresh, Spicy and Fruity. A nice Combo of Bitter, Sweet and Sour notes. The Alcohol and cask are much more noticeable by now but not in a bad way. Quite Dry in the end. I find Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Marzipan, Nuts, Lemon, Green Apple, Bitter Orange, Grapefruit, Nectarines, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Aniseed, Menthol and a very faint Smoky note.

Drinking Advice:

I added a few drops of Water and the Nose becomes more Malty and Floral rather than Fruity. Palate and Finish basically stay the same but the Alcohol retreats of course. This is a matter of personal taste. You can certainly add a few drops although I prefer to sip it without added Water.

Rating: 84

Nose: 21 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

Drinking Experience:

Good

Conclusion:

A nice Bourbon cask matured Tomatin. I think a slightly lower ABV would have benefited this Spirit. In fact I would have loved to taste this expression as a 16 Year old with an ABV of around 46%. As it is presented, Wood and Spices start to slightly dominate the Fruity Tomatin Spirit. Especially so on the Palate and in the Finish. Still, it's a quite nice Highlander and one of the better Tomatins I've tasted so far. It can't be cheap of course but it's worth having a go!

Jan van den Ende                                                                      June 11,2018

The Pictures were taken during our visits to these distilleries in May 2017.

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Glen Garioch 1797 Founder's Reserve Review - Glen Garioch 12 Years Review

“Glen Garioch Special”

Introduction:

Most of you know that I mainly use samples and miniatures when preparing my Reviews. I usually buy these in Holland and sometimes in Germany or the UK. Sometimes I receive samples from friends or readers or independent bottlers. In only two cases I received a few samples directly from distilleries. When planning my reviews for the coming months I always try to give attention to all Scottish Whisky regions as well as other Whisky/Whiskey/Bourbon producing regions all over the world with special attention to the USA, Ireland and Japan. And last but not least the blends. At the request of many readers I give preference to more recent expressions. As a result, my backlog of older samples has increased quite a bit. To do justice to those samples I will review them in the format of Specials. These specials will deal with a specific distillery like today or with specific bottlers, countries or regions. The reviews in these Specials will concentrate on the Whisky and won't go into details about distilleries, maturation etc. I do hope you will like these Specials just as much as my regular reviews and I look forward to your reactions and suggestions. In this special I will review the two core range expressions of the Glen Garioch Highland distillery. Enjoy!

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Whisky Review # 736

Country: Scotland

Region: Eastern Highlands

Brand: Glen Garioch 1797 Founder's Reserve

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS (6-8 Years I would think)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 48%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 40-45 (June 2018)
Buying Advice: 😉 Not for everybody! Good P/Q ratio if you like "dirty" Malts.

Colour

Golden Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Young and Light. Definitively Refill Ex-Bourbon casks. Ample use of Caramel I would think given the Amber colour. Mainly Sweet with a few Green, Dusty and Salty notes. The Alcohol is noticeable.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Apple, Pear, Lemon, Raisins, Grass, Dried Herbs, Heather-Honey, Charred Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon and Mint.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Caffe Latte, Grapefruit, Orange, Gooseberries, White Grapes, Hazelnut, Dusty Road, Floral Soap, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cooked Cabbage, Wet Cardboard and Wood Polish.

Picture Credit: Whisky.com

Palate:

Very strong and hot Delivery. A slightly lower ABV of 46% would be better in this case. On the Bitter-Sweet Palate the Founder's Reserve can't hide its Youth. It's quite Edgy and Nervous and the Alcohol is too present. But it's not boring & far away from you average mainstream Highland Malt.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Caffe Latte, Apple, Pear, Grapefruit, Lemon, Orange, Raisins, Hazelnut, Pepper, Ginger, Aniseed, Menthol, Herbal Tea and Charred Oak.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Straw, Rye Whiskey, Dirty Earth, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cocoa Powder, Raw Meat and Leather.

Finish:

Middle Long, Bitter-Sweet, Musty, Dusty, Dirty, Hot, Salty and slightly Metallic. A bit Tannic towards the Medium-Dry End. This is not for everyone I think. Nothing mainstream here. If you like Springbank and/or Tobermory you should give this a try. I find Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Nuts, Wet Sand and Stones, Herbal Tea, strong Espresso, Charred Oak, Grass, Dirty Earth, Apple, Lemon, Orange Juice, Pepper, Cloves, Cinnamon, Menthol and Cherry-Flavoured Cough Drops. A hint of Dark Chocolate after a few minutes.

Drinking Advice:

I added a few drops of Water and Dried Fruit and Nougat develop on the Nose. On the Palate and in the Finish Spices, Alcohol and Menthol become even stronger. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 82

Nose: 20 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5  - Overall: 20.5

Drinking Experience:

Interesting!

Conclusion:

Glen Garioch was founded in 1797 and is located in Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire. It is owned by Suntory from Japan since 1994. The current core range consists of the two Single malts I'm reviewing today.

Both the 1797 Founders Reserve and the 12 Years were launched in 2009. The Founders Reserve certainly stands out in the sea of boring mainstream entry Single Malts. I know, it's Young and too Hot and Dirty and Dusty and it's not very well-balanced. But at least it's got character and that is a rare virtue when you look at today's standard Single Malts. It's not for everybody but if you like Springbank, Tobermory and BenRomach you should certainly have a look at Glen Garioch. I'm looking forward to try the 12 Years!

Picture Credit: Whisky.com

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Whisky Review # 737

Country: Scotland

Region: Eastern Highlands

Brand: Glen Garioch

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 12 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 48% 
Maturation: Mix of Ex-Bourbon Casks and Sherry Wood.
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 45-50 (June 2018)
Buying Advice: 😀 Good P/Q ratio. Well-Balanced Malt. Bit on the Hot side!    

Colour:

Golden Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Light but Pleasant. The Sherry casks are noticeable. On the Nose, the 12 Years is Floral, Fruity, Malty and Yeasty. 

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Buttered Toast, Heather-Honey, Demerara Sugar, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Figs and Apricots, Vanilla, Hazelnut, Straw, Dusty Track, Lemon, Orange Peel, Dried Herbs and Cinnamon.    

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Caffe Latte, Apple, Pear, Charred Oak, Rye, Pepper, Wet Rock, Strawberry Jam, Tinned Pineapple, Leather, Resin and Mint.

Picture Credit: Whisky.com

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet, Yeasty and slightly Hot. A few Sour notes as well.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Butter, Dried Fruit like Apricot, Raisin and Banana, Vanilla, Orange Peel, Pear, Lemon, Heather-Honey, Grass, Straw, Dusty Track, Charred Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg and Herbal Tea.  

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Salted Caramel, Espresso, Grapefruit Juice, Cocoa Powder, Demerara Sugar, Rye and Wet Rocks.   

Finish:

Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet and quite Hot. Very Peppery towards the Medium-Dry end. I find Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Dried Fruit like Apricot, Raisin and Banana, Apple, Grass, Hazelnuts, Charred Oak, Pepper, Dusty Track, Orange Zest, Wet Rocks, Yeast, Cocoa Powder and Espresso.   

Drinking Advice:

The 12 Years does not really improve with added Water although it's a little less Hot of course. More Malty for sure. I prefer to sip it neat.

Rating: 84  

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21  

Drinking Experience:

Good 

Conclusion:

The 12 Years is a completely different animal when compared to the Founder's Reserve. It's got much more Balance and the Sherry casks soften up the Spirit. The extra cask time gives the 12 Years a more mature appearance. It's a lot less Dirty and Mean when compared to the 1797 FR and certainly more mainstream. This 12 Years won't scare away beginning Whisky drinkers although it's still a bit on the Hot side. But it's a good way to start getting to know Glen Garioch. Deep in my heart I know this is the better made Single Malt but somehow I miss the raw character that is certainly present in the 1797 FR. In any case, Glen Garioch certainly deserves more attention than it gets today. I fully enjoyed this Tasting session.

Jan van den Ende                                                                      June 4, 2018

Picture Credit: Welcometoscotland.com