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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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April 12, 2021 |
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That would be Glen Garioch. Let's do some fresh young ones first and then perhaps find a few oldies from the Distillery's heyday… |
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Glen Garioch 'Virgin Oak No. 2' (48%, OB, +/-2019) 
Better do this one first. NAS and new oak, what could go wrong? I remember the first batch, back in 2013, was extremely tannic (WF 70) but the world is all about progress, is it not? Colour: gold. Nose: the noses are always fine, in this case full of quince jelly, papaya and guava, cider and plum pudding. Tarte aux quetsches, bettelman (Alsatian clafoutis – right), bread pudding, nougat. No complains at all this far, on the contrary. Come on cheeks, tighten up… Mouth: oak-doped for sure, this is more an oak concoction than 'whisky'. This feeling of having downed the whole teapot (I mean its content) plus turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg at the power of two. Some oranges and apples are trying to find their way in this forest but that's really too tough. A spoonful of curry powder. Finish: long, spicy and tannic. Green walnuts, resins and cracked black pepper in the aftertaste. Comments: a true lumberjack's tipple. Not quite my style I'm afraid.
SGP:271 - 72 points. |
We did that one first because the other OBs we've got should be smoother… |
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Glen Garioch 17 yo 'The Renaissance 3rd Chapter' (50.8%, OB, 2017) 
An expression ex-bourbon and sherry that came out three years ago, and which we hadn't noticed. I thought the first Renaissance, a 15 yo, had been rather excellent back in 2014 (WF 85). Colour: gold. Nose: a feeling of oak-aged pear eau-de-vie at first, which I would enjoy, then rather yellow melons and peaches, then a stroll in the woods, with mosses, damp earth, fern, mushrooms and lilies of the valley. Some freshly squeezed blood oranges, that's so good for our immunity! With water: gets a little coastal, on beach sand, then strawberries and mint, a summery combo that's most enticing. Mouth (neat): a little bit of peppery oak at first, reminiscent of the Virgin version, but on a most solid body with caraway, walnutty oloroso, those williams pears, and a little bit of resin and even smoke. Pinecone smoke. With water: lovely resinous oranges, shall we say? Some kind of Spanish cordial. Finish: rather long, on earthy bitter oranges. Very good. Comments: most likeable. Why didn't we notice this one back in 2017?
SGP:452 - 86 points. |
And one thing leading to another… |
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Glen Garioch 18 yo 'The Renaissance 4th Chapter' (50.2%, OB, +/-2020)
Not too sure when this fourth and last rendition in the Renaissance series came out, 2019 or last year? This is ex-sherry and bourbon as well. Colour: gold. Nose: more oak it seems, more tea, leaves, tobacco, less sherry, but this feeling of wandering throughout some inhabited woods is remaining. More moss and mushrooms, fir honey, more fudgey oak too, then butterscotch, orange cake… With water: the butterscotch won it. Gets very cake-y. Mouth (neat): big, spicy, peppery, a little hot. Dried apples, ale, a drop of teppanyaki sauce, ginger liqueur… Not very easy to pin down, water should help. With water: oranges and ginger coming to the surface. Finish: rather long, spicy, on bitters and caramel, with a pine-y background. Comments: actually a tiny notch gentler than the 17, but of similarly high quality.
SGP:452 - 86 points. |
Perhaps some natural IBs… |
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Glen Garioch 11 yo 2008/2020 (55.3%, Lady of the Glen, bourbon hogshead, cask #3194, 320 bottles) 
This one's as pale as an East-German Sylvaner, which is good news. Colour: East-German Sylvaner. Nose: you got to love these makes that are this close to the original distillate, this time on grist, cut apples, green pears, kohlrabi, bubblegum and marshmallows. Malt whisky, just matured, not flavoured. With water: wonderful chalky and medicinal development, reminiscent of the 1970s at GG. Aspirin, lamp smoke, polish, plasticine… Wow. Mouth (neat): some would find this too new-make-y, but I don't. It's really eau-de-vie de barley, akin to that Cadenhead style, circa 1995. Grass, celeriac, apples and various fruit and vegetable peelings, distilled. Stuff for roughnecks and connoisseurs alike. With water: same, more or less. The old GG-style doesn't quite come through this time. Was I only dreaming? Finish: long, raw, hot, new-make-y. Well well well. Comments: the old style only glimmers and falters here, like an old candle in an old monk's study (S., please!)
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
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Glen Garioch 8 yo 2011/2018 (58.4%, Dram Mor, refill bourbon hogshead, cask #2698, 240 bottles)
Aqua-vitae ex-machina, I suppose. Colour: straw. Nose: ah, some smoke! Coal smoke, burning grasses and leaves, preserved artichokes, green peppercorn, old newspapers, some rosemary, candlewax, garage floor… Yeah, to each his own. With water: hey, chalk! Wonderful. Mouth (neat): oh very good! A touch of coconut for starters (no problems) and then sweet herbs, agaves, greengages, that flatbread they have in many middle-eastern countries, ginseng powder… I think I really like this. With water: excellent, top-notch distillate, fatter and 'rather a little phenolic'. Finish: long, same. Lovely. Peaches. Comments: doesn't 'Dram Mor' mean 'drink a lot'? Not sure I agree with that motto, but this is more proof that they've tried to get back to the ancient style at GG – without the 1980's lavender that is. A superb little mor-e-ish drop.
SGP:562 - 87 points. |
And one thing leading to another (again)… |
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Glen Garioch 8 yo 2011/2019 (52%, Asta Morris, bourbon and rum, cask #AM075, 272 bottles)
Well, this one's been finished in an ex-Bielle cask. I'm not fond of that idea, on the other hand I am a fan of Bielle (that's rum from Guadeloupe). Who said life was easy? Colour: pale white wine. Say Belgian chardonnay. Nose: it's a blend, really. Both spirits are noticeable, that's probably because Bielle's a characterful rum. I'm not saying this doesn't work, I'm just saying it is a blend of spirits. Olives, paraffin, peaches, grist, moss, leaven bread. Oh hell, why not? With water: saponification to the maximum, let's wait… … … … More brine! Olives, anchovies, liquorice wood, tar… Didn't we say Bielle's a very characterful rum? Mouth (neat): hybrid, salty, olive-y, bready, in short metanoia in spirits. Oranges and bananas save it. With water: seawater and lemon juice. Finish: long, same. Olives. Comments: much fun here, but in my humble opinion, this is Bielle finished in Glen Garioch rather than the opposite. Very good transatlantic fun indeed.
SGP:463 - 85 points. |
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Glen Garioch 2011/2020 (46%, Malts of Scotland, bourbon barrel, cask #MoS20009, 330 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: a rather smoky and gristy Glen Garioch, with crushed bananas and dough, fermenting fruits, fresh bread, concrete and flints, baker's yeast, more bananas, then thicker beers. Weizenbier? Some mead too. Lovely nose. Mouth: a tad dirtier, more on bizarre mashes, damp newspapers, scoria, barley wine, perhaps some thyme, green plums, gooseberries, green grapes, grass, green tea… Finish: medium, on the same grassy notes. A smokier signature, with some thicker ale in the background, as well as a little salt. Comments: a rather fermentary and mashy young Glen Garioch. A good, solid drop if you enjoy your malts al natural as much as I do.
SGP:452 - 84 points. |
Good, seven's a good number, but I think we'll be back tomorrow, with some older GGs… |
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