March 10, 2014

A trio of high-flying Glentauchers

Glentauchers is another name that we’re seeing more often these days although G&M have often bottled some.

Glentauchers 1997/2013 (54.3%, Gordon & MacPhail for The Whisky Exchange, refill sherry, cask #5580)

Colour: dark red amber. Nose: Rivesaltes and old Port! Serious, this is more some old, high-quality fortified wine. Which, naturally, I love. Walnut liqueur, raisins, cedar wood, rancio, old balsamic vinegar, hot caramel, then more mocha, zwetschke pie with cinnamon, whiffs of chartreuse and bénédictine, tarte tatin, more caramel… Very spectacular, wide and yet compact and kind of immediate… This starts well! With water: some lovely pine wood smoke is coming through, as well as a little cough syrup. A medicinal Glentauchers? Mouth (neat): it’s heavy, extractive, concentrated and yet it remained elegant. A lot of polished wood, more walnuts, some bitter herbs and liqueurs, then more fruits such as blood oranges, then more slightly acrid spices, around cloves… A big boy for sure, from a great cask. A little extreme but some extremities are simply lovely (hold on!) With water: Moroccan spice mix and prunes. Finish: long, this time with more bitter oranges. Comments: a spectacular baby from a (probably) spectacular cask. Quite massive. SGP:652 – 88 points.

Glentauchers 17 yo 1996/2014 (57.2%, Tasting Fellows, barrel, 146 bottles)

A few friends and good spirits, that’s the way for boutique independent bottlers! The big ones sometimes called them ‘armchair bottlers’, but I’ve already found quite a few wonderful armchairs in the past. Colour: gold. Nose: very different from the G&M, which is normal since the casks aren’t the same at all. This time it all starts with some varnish and both tinned and fresh pineapple, before we find more kiwis, peaches and apple peelings. A new pack of jellybeans. The varnishy side is actually very pleasant, it’s good natural varnish! With water: rather ripe apples with water. Mouth (neat): much in line with the nose, with this combination of ‘good’ varnish and youthful yellow fruits. Pineapples big time, also grapefruits and greengages, then more vanilla. With water: zesty bubblegum and jellybeans. The oak got a little louder. Finish: long, on pepper and pineapple drops. Comments: a spectacular style. Do Haribo now own Glentauchers? SGP:741 - 86 points.

Glentauchers 34 yo 1975/2010 (43.7%, The Taster, Scotch Malt Sales, Japan, cask #8883, 158 bottles)

A rare bottling by Whisky Agency and Whisky Fair maestro Carsten Ehrlich. Colour: gold. Nose: lovely! It’s got the complexity that only old ones can display, without being tired or even a bit over the top. Lovely musty fruits, grass and earth, grapefruits, or maybe timut (that Nepalese pepper that reeks of grapefruit), old earthy tea pu-erh style, marzipan, a little barley water, wild mushrooms, a pinhead of sweet mustard, maybe rose petals… All that is very complex and pretty delicate. Wonderful. Mouth: more fruits, more freshness and more herbs. It’s got a Lochsidy side, although the citrus is a notch less expressive here. There’s also some peppermint and even more marzipan and raw almonds, as well as touches of gentian. It’s only after a good twenty seconds in your mouth that more oak starts to appear, with some strong green tea and more cinnamon and white pepper. Finish: medium length. Remains fresh, fruity and with green spices. Grapefruits. Maybe a little less focussed than before? Comments: loved the gentian. A wonderful old yet still fresh Glentauchers. SGP:561 - 89 points.

Check the index of all Glentauchers I've tasted so far