
November 10, 2020

New Ord 38 yo and helpers

There’s a new 38 years old Singleton that looks quite extra-ord-inary (oh wow!) but first let’s see what we can find as sparring partners. Maybe two little Cadenheads?

Ord 13 yo 2005/2018 (54.9%, Cadenhead, Single Cask, for Vinotek Massen, Flanders Finest Selection and others, bourbon hogshead, 306 bottles)

A bottling for many distinguished houses in the north. Colour: white wine. Cadenhead have had and are still having quite some casks of Glen Ord, as it appears. Colour: white wine. Nose: I’m finding rather a lot of plasticine and paraffin at first, then a grassy zestiness that would then lead us to various green fruits. Granny smith, greengages, gooseberries… With water: touches of earth, humus, autumn leaves (how appropriate) and the tiniest bit of rubber. Mouth (neat): it's pretty citric and ‘bonbony’. So lemon drops, touches of green walnuts, a chalkiness, some waxy elements too. With water: more of all that. Notes of orgeat/fresh almonds. Finish: rather long, on a leafier limoncello. Classic tight style. Comments: good tension in this one.
SGP:451 - 85 points.

Ord 12 yo 2006/2018 (55.3%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, bourbon hogshead, hogshead, 315 bottles)

This ought to be pretty similar, so pretty good. Colour: white wine. Nose: this one’s clearly got more varnish, rubber, and even coal smoke. Tarmac, glue, sulphur (used matches)… And yet it is a bourbon hoggie. Much unexpected, let’s see how it would evolve… With water: ginger tonic! Schweppes… And always these bizarre whiffs of struck matches. Mouth (neat): indeed, big citric arrival, full of lemon squash and orange drops (or Fanta, there), with this glue-y layer over it all. The kind of flavours that you could sometimes find in patched casks, if I remember well. There’s even a little smoked ham. With water: gets really very leafy. Finish: long, leafy, bitterish. Curious notes of mutton suet. Comments: a challenging funny boy I would say. I’d love to know more about its pedigree.
SGP:362 - 79 points.

The Singleton of Glen Ord 38 yo (49.6%, OB, Master’s Casks, 1689 bottles, 2020)

This is the new wonder, composed by one of Diageo’s main – albeit discreet – top slingers, Mrs Maureen Robinson. It is a kind of reverse-finishing, meaning that she decided to re-rack some bourbon casks into various seasoned woods (including PX, naturally) after just 12 years, and to let that ‘finishing’ period last for 26 further years. The owners are talking about ‘finishing’ but that’s actually double-maturation, is it not? Anyway, we all remember the old ‘square’ Glen Ord 30yo, so expectations are super-high. There should be beeswax in the menu! Colour: full gold. Nose: that old 30 yo instantly springs to mind. Beeswax in abundance, old Sauternes, a few medicinal touches (camphor, embrocations), a lot of orange blossom water, earl grey, kumquats, heather honey, orange zests, a touch of plasticine, petit manseng (white wines from Jurançon), old waxed papers, ‘opening a beehive’… Well this nose is extra-ord-inary indeed (oh no, not again!) Mouth: we’re in old liqueurs territory, really. I suppose a world-class mixologist could almost replicate this for a wealthy patron. Let’s try, I would select old yellow chartreuse, triple-sec, a little pine bud liqueur, a few drops of Scandinavian tar liqueur, probably some fig arrak, and perhaps a few drops of old blue curaçao. But don’t fear, this old Ord is not blue. But shake or stir? No ideas, I’m anything but a mixologist (as you could just notice). Finish: rather long, creamy, with a little more vanilla, apricot jam, quinces, more beeswax and honeys… The pine-y and camphory notes are back in the aftertaste. Comments: very interesting because you might feel that there’s both something old and something pretty fresh in this one. A senior athlete, in other words. I find it absolutely superb.
SGP:671 - 92 points.

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