June 17, 2015

Little H2Hs, today Glen Garioch

Let’s try to find two recent Glen Gariochs sharing ages and profiles…

Glen Garioch 24 yo 1991/2015 (51.9%, Liquid Treasures, 229 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: whether peated or not, Glen Garioch’s always an interesting spirit, and this is more proof. It’s got this mineral, lemony, and grassy style, with a good deal of wax. I also find some humus, moss, fern, broken branches… This baby seems to have texture – and substance. Shoe polish. With water: herb smoke, menthol, roots, grass, a touch of engine oil, graphite – it’s well a Glen Garioch. Mouth (neat): very solid arrival, on cider apples, lemon zests, not-too-ripe kiwis, green tea… It’s got an austere side, but it’s also greatly clean, steely, sharp… With water: excellent, grassy, waxy, lemony. This is the sharp old-Highlands style I enjoy. Finish: long, grassy, waxy… and all that. Comments: no need to write a novel, this is another excellent early-1990s Glen Garioch. SGP:462 - 87 points.

Glen Garioch 23 yo 1990/2014 (56.1%, Berry Bros & Rudd, cask #7939)

Colour: gold. Nose: this one’s even leafier! Tea, shoe polish, old toolbox, engine oil, resin, putty… And moss, fern, eucalyptus, ‘clean’ mud, polish… Perfect. With water: a muddy pine forest, some earthy cigars, some pu-erh tea. Love this nose. Mouth (neat): terrific. Earthy and smoky mezcal, green lemon, gentian eau-de-vie (the real one, made out of fermented roots – more about those soon on WF), limestone, some chalk… It’s a blade. With water: exceptional. Lemon juice, honey, teas, tobacco, roots, gentian… Finish: long and ‘sharp like a blade’. They could use it f**** Game of b**** Thrones. Comments: hurray. Were these notes short enough? SGP:462 - 90 points.

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