
June 24, 2016

A few Glen Moray

The independents have more Glen Moray these days, which makes the whisky aficionados talk more about that overlooked distillery. All power to them! I mean, to the indies!

Glen Moray 27 yo 1988/2015 (46.5%, Acla da Fans and The Whisky Agency, hogshead)

A Swiss-German bottling, unless that's the other way 'round. Colour: pale gold. Nose: a clean, relatively harmless nose that involves soft oils (sunflower) and white fruits (apples, pears), as well as a touch of lemon and then barley water and plain green malt. All that works well, it's just a tad 'neutral'. Neutral, but flawless. Perhaps something slightly sour/acetic? Perhaps not. Mouth: same feeling. Excellently neutral, or neutrally excellent. Not writing that because the bottler is Swiss, not at all! (I'm dead serious!) Lemon cake, Japanese pastries (tea cake), a little green apple, some raw barley. Feels younger than 27, but indeed it's good. I mean, I find it good. Finish: medium, a tad more citrusy, as often. Macha tea and lemon juice, a little candy sugar. Comments: yeah, it's really very good, it reminds me of the OBs. It's just a little... neutral (and he insists!) SGP:451 - 84 points.

Glen Moray 25 yo 1990/2015 (57%, Chapter 7, bourbon hogshead, cask #5241, 218 bottles)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: same territories, but this is even rounder. White chocolate, Weetabix, sweet chenin blanc, apples, peaches, barley. There. With water: same, with just the obligatory wee earthiness that comes out once water's been added. Mouth (neat): creamy, really very easy, and certainly very good. This would 'fill' an old prestige blend to perfection. Apple pie, acacia honey, roasted nuts, vanilla and coconut cake... And no flaws whatsoever. I'd call this style 'central', if not 'neutral'. With water: plenty of sweet malty goodness. In a way, it's malt whisky that hasn't got anything, and yet it's totally 'full'. Ach, not sure all that's understandable. Yeah, central, perhaps. Finish: medium, cake-y, sweet, easy. A fruit salad with some cake and a glass of Vouvray moelleux. Comments: shall we call this a perfect 4 o'clock malt? SGP:551 - 86 points.

Speaking of sweet Vouvray...

Glen Moray-Glenlivet 23 yo 1992/2016 (52%, Cadenhead, Wine Cask, Sauternes, 2016)

Sorry no picture yet. Another brand new Cadenhead, this time ex-Sauternes. Probably a few years. I have to say that while I'm not into red wine finishings (not kiddin'), Sauternes usually works quite well. Better than Tokaji if you ask me, and I'll always remember one of the first ones, the Glenmorangie 1981 Sauternes Finish from 2002. Yeah, Nectar D'Or isn't too bad either. Oh and of course, Pride 1981, that one's excellent. It seems that for a Sauternes finishing to work, a fairly neutral malt whisky works best. Because Laphroaig + Sauternes, for example, aarrrgh... But back to this Glen Moray... Colour: gold. Nose: superb. Ripe apricots, honey, and touches of parsley. Hate to enjoy a wine finishing so much. Quick... With water: I'd swear I'm finding a little botrytis. More honey and roasted pecans for sure. Mouth (neat): there is a little cardboard, and perhaps even sop in the background, which may come from the wood - it cannot be the gentle Glen Moray. But other than that, all is more than fine. Apricot pie covered with honey and maple syrup. Two sultanas. With water: halt, stop, vorsicht, it doesn't like water! On the palate, at least. In a way, that's just like Sauternes. Gets too leafy. Finish: long, spicier. Perhaps French oak if it's a genuine Sauternes cask - and it most probably was. Comments: super good, as long as you don't start to fiddle with water. But at 52% vol. water is not mandatory anyway. SGP:651 - 87 points.

And now, drum roll...

Glen Moray 'Peated Spirit' (60.6%, OB, batch 1, 20cl, +/-2016)

Glen Moray 'Peated Spirit' (60.6%, OB, batch 1, 20cl, +/-2016) Not quite whisky yet. It's true that since the peated Islayer were doing so well, many distilleries from the mainland have started producing their own peaters, more or less like a few had already done in the early 1970s (Tobermory/Ledaig, Springbank/Longrow, Clynelish/Brora although that's not quite the same distillery) and later on (Jura, AnCnoc, Benriach, Bunnahabhain, Bruichladdich...) No we're not talking about the lazy ones who'd just re-rack their regular make into ex-peater casks, like G. and M. have done. But enough ramblings, let's try this baby-baby... Colour: gold (very active wood, it seems). Nose: indeed, it's some kind of un-coastal peater, with some soot, some ashes, some olives and some lemon. We are in peated Benriach territories, more or less. There's a sweetness (tinned pears). With water: nice fresh young almondy smoke. Fruit stones. Mouth (neat): marzipan, glue, pear juice. And 60% vol. With water: rather on the sweet side, as often with quasi-new make. Sweetened apple juice and smoked, well, stuff. Fruits? Finish: medium, fruity and smoky. Maraschino. Comments: not one that's trying to mimic the big Islays. But are the Scots the only ones to sell their experiments? Shouldn't these trials be given for free to loyal customers? SGP:627 - (unnecessary) points.

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