December 12, 2014

Glen Elgin vertically

There are less official Glen Elgins than in the past, but I’ve always found that the distillate could be interesting, with a firmness that could make it very ‘Highlands’, beyond the Speysidy fruitiness.

Glen Elgin 17 yo 1997/2014 (46%, Orcines, cask #1651)

Orcines is the new line by the Whisky Lodge in Lyon, France. We already tried a pretty good Glen Spey. Colour: white wine. Nose: an immaculate, straightforward youngish Speysider that shares white fruits (apples, pears, white cherries) as well as some kind of smoked bread dough, a touch of shoe polish and certainly some linseed oil. Beyond the fruits! Mouth: excellent clean fruity distillate with, indeed, an oily firmness that prevents it from getting a little… dull. Apples, peaches and lemons, a combination that isn’t that usual in malt whisky. Little oak, hurray. Finish: rather long, rather on peach syrup this time. A funny feeling of grenadine. Comments: sweet and firm, as I wrote. Nothing to complain about! SGP:541 - 82 points.

Glen Elgin 22 yo 1991/2014 (51.3%, Hart Bros, Finest Collection)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: this time there’s more sweet, creamy, rounded oak influence, but styles are similar. Barley water, custard, peach syrup, cane syrup, all that on ripe pears and peaches. Easy, quick, evident. With water: a little chalk coming out, it’s even a tad muddy. I wouldn’t say that doesn’t work. Sour dough. Mouth (neat): we’re even closer to the Orcines on the palate. Fruit syrups, light honey, sweet oils, a touch of lemon and just half a drop of eucalyptus oil, as well as a touch of sappy smoke. Pinewood? With water: same direction. Fizzy lemon juice, mint… Less clean than the 1997, but a little more complex. Finish: of medium length, with the mint coming even more to the front. Comments: some writers would call this baby ‘an intriguing malt’. They would be right. SGP:451 - 82 points.

Glen Elgin 38 yo (48.2%, Monnier Trading, Fighting Fish, bourbon, 172 bottles, 2013)

Monnier is a Swiss bottler. As for their ties with Chinese fish, I have no clues (are labels with fish fishy? Discuss…) Colour: gold. Nose: starts a little weird, metallic… An old tin box full of even older coins. Or an old penny book. Everything old, old clothes in an old attic, old books, old oils, old herbal liqueurs, honeydew… It’s a rather beautiful nose, but this profile usually implies a weakish palate, let’s check that… Mouth: no! All is very fine, raisiny and resinous (alliterations are so last century, Serge!), with raisins, old liqueurs again (grandma’s crème de menthe), more honeydew, a little tar… It’s even quite fat, and the oak remains discreet. It’s to be wondered whether this old baby didn’t age in pinewood. Finish: long, sweet and very, very piny. Fun stuff. Comments: one to sip in the sauna. The fact that it never got drying is a miracle. Hoppla, Grüezi miteinander. SGP:471 - 87 points.

I had planned to stop here, but we could as well go on and try to find a 90er. Maybe this one?...

Glen Elgin 30 yo 1972/2002 (50%, Douglas Laing, Old Malt Cask, 276 bottles)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: ooh yes. High-end shoe polish and light fresh fruitcake, a perfect combination. Honey sauce, citron liqueur, mandarins, verbena and wormwood, menthol, caraway, aniseed… It’s almost like a long-forgotten bottle of genuine absinth from the Val-de-travers, in grandma’s cupboard. Very beautiful. Mouth: whacky and yet very beautiful again. Mentholated and metallic fruits, I’d say. So some kind of mentholated mangos, mint-flavoured tea, paprika, pink peppercorns… All that on a rather oily and earthy structure. Only flaw, it tends to become a little drying. Finish: long, spicy. Pepper and mint, with a curious smokiness in the aftertaste. Smoked salmon and dill? Comments: not everything is well in place here, but it’s fun. Malt whisky for adventurers, perhaps. Good fun indeed. SGP:462 - 90 points.

Check the index of all Glen Elgin I've tasted so far

(with thanks to Carsten)