October 30, 2015

Unlikely Glen Ord

Ord can be fabulous, as a certain 1962 by a certain Sig. Samaroli, or some official ‘squares’ already showed us. But it can also be, yeah, unlikely, too grassy, too mineral, too acrid, too austere… Or not, let’s see…

The Singleton of Glen Ord 'Signature' (40%, OB, sherry cask finish, +/-2015)

A fairly recent official expression of Glen Ord, possibly at the bottom of the range since it’s NAS. I know, mildly infuriating comments by yours truly. Colour: deep gold. Nose: malty, with some burnt sugar and a touch of earth, plus some vanilla and sponge cake. Not earth shattering, but acceptable. Mouth: quite some spices, cardamom, white pepper… All that on a bed of cardboard and sawdust. A very grassy profile, pretty dry, probably from some rather active oak. What’s better is that a little orange liqueur comes through after a while. Finish: the grassy, spicy and rather ‘green’ oak hasn’t gone. Comments: not quite my cup of Glen Ord. It’s true that once you’ve tried the superb old official 28 and 30 in their square bottles, there’s no way back. SGP:361 - 74 points.

Another go at some Singletoned Ord…

The Singleton of Glen Ord 18 yo (40%, OB, sherry cask finish, +/-2015)

I really liked the 15 yo two years ago (WF 83), so this newer – I believe - 18 might be right up my alley. Colour: copper gold. Nose: less malty and oaky, but almost as dry as the NAS, rather on herbal teas this time. Eucalyptus, mint, pinesap, then bitter oranges and a combination of leather and tobacco plus walnuts that hints at sherry. A wee dustiness, perhaps? Mouth: ah, yes, Glen Ord! The strength is low but the spirit’s relatively fat, and fills your mouth with some kind of waxy orange liqueur, green tea, and quite some grass. Tree bark, fresh walnuts, strong honey, a metallic touch (silver spoon), and then a dry maltiness. Finish: medium, dry, maltier again. Like the aftertaste on honeydew. Comments: I think I enjoyed the brighter 15 even better, but this is fine. And seriously, the Victorian bottle looks terrific. SGP:451 - 81 points.

Let’s find a Glen Ord au naturel from WF’s older sample library…

Glen Ord 11 yo 1999/2010 (46%, Douglas Laing, McGibbon’s Provenance)

That’s spring distillation, in case that’s of any interest. Let’s see how this young naked Ord will behave after the OBs… Colour: white wine. Nose: a very faint touch of wood smoke, then cut apples, raw barley, grass. I repeat, cut apples, raw barley, grass. I do not seem to find anything else. Mouth: the Signature with more oomph, I’d say, and rather less wood. Perhaps a little shoe polish, as well as hints of wine gums. Other than that, I wouldn’t say we’ll remember this baby forever. Fulfilling body though, the strength is perfect. Finish: medium, grassier. Cut pears. Lemon in the aftertaste. Comments: not bad, but this may need to go into some cocktail created by some mad ex-Shoreditch hipster on Red Bull Shot. SGP:451 - 75 points.

Perhaps another 18?

Glen Ord 18 yo 1997/2015 (49.9%, Spirit Shop Selection and Sansibar, 179 bottles)

~~Karuizawa~~ Glen Ord 18 yo 1997/2015 (49.9%, Spirit Shop Selection and Sansibar, 179 bottles)

The label, LOL! Well done guys, that’s funny indeed. Colour: pale white wine – and that wine has never seen any oak. Nose: extremely narrow, but that’s an asset here. Clay, lime, barley. I repeat, clay, li… Eighteen years in an oak cask, really? But as you know, we’re not quite against naked, straight, fully spirit-driven whiskies. Curious about the palate… Mouth: fantastic, because only the distillate speaks, a distillate that’s gained smoothness and fullness from age, not from wood (provided you could get that from wood, which remains to be debated). Oily start (sunflower oil), then barley water, acacia honey, williams pear, brioche dough, and grapefruit. Finish: rather long, even a bit hot, with some muesli. Comments: good, this baby rather tastes like 6 or 7 to be honest – which the pale colour already suggested – but it’s a great bottle to play tricks on your whisky buddies. Like, guess how old this is? SGP:551 - 83 points.

All right, I hadn’t planned to try the official 15 today, since we’ve had it just two years ago, but just for the sake of research, let’s try a newer batch…

The Singleton of Glen Ord 15 yo (40%, OB, +/-2015)

Colour: deep gold. Nose: yes, yes, and yes. It is the most Glenordian, with these pies and salads and jams. Made out of orchard fruits. Apples, plums, pears, apricots… There’s also some honey, orange blossom, lime blossom tea, honey… And almond oil. Like! (yes we’ll keep this short). Mouth: very good. Beats the official 18, no question. Waxy fruits and herbal teas, plus a perfect maltiness. Only the thinnish body’s a little frustrating, despite the wax, bottling at 40% should have become streng verboten. Finish: not that short. Malt, green tea, waxy fruits. Perhaps a little smoke in the aftertaste. Comments: don’t try this one before the NAS ‘Signature’, I say it as a friend. SGP:551 - 84 points.

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