Old Glenturret IB vs OB


October 25, 2022

Little Duos, today old Glenturret IB vs OB

Glenturret is another name that we're seeing more often since the owners of crystal makers (and blowers and cutters) Lalique have taken over the Distillery that used to belong to Edrington. The new bottlings, although obviously not distilled by the new owners, have shown some improvement in my book.

Radiator cap for automobiles, Lalique, 1928 (Tajan)

Glenturret 30 yo 1989/2019 (47.1%, Signatory Vintage, for Kirsch Whisky, hogshead, cask #230, 282 bottles)

I seem to remember Kirsch have won an important award just a few weeks ago. Colour: straw. Nose: totally and plainly Glenturret, starting appropriately dirty, fermentary, mustardy and sooty, while you would find at least 1m3 of fresh concrete and a large basket of artichokes in the background. Even more mustard's soon to kick in too, together with paint, flints, an old pipe, old stone pots, bandages, Vaseline gauze and just a lot of damp chalk. How very Glenturret indeed! Mouth: indeed, indeed. Sweet mustard mixed with chalk, cider apples, plain cider, white beer, clay, sourer lemons, grasses, soot and ashes, bitter green tea, bitter oranges, coffee dregs… Finish: pretty long, sweeter, pretty much on some kind of chalky marmalade, also with something a little metallic, which is pretty much GT as well. Regular marmalade in the aftertaste. Comments: 100% true to the Distillery's old style, and in that respect very commendable. On the other hand, you need to like them a little dirty… Now it is much better than rather many OBs from the 1990s or 2000s.
SGP:462 - 87 points.

The Glenturret by Lalique 33 yo (43.7%, OB, Trinity, Provenance, 320 decanters, 2021) The Glenturret by Lalique 33 yo (43.7%, OB, Trinity, Provenance, 320 decanters, 2021)

The Glenturret by Lalique 33 yo (43.7%, OB, Trinity, Provenance, 320 decanters, 2021)

A very art déco decanter that is extremely 'Lalique' indeed. I would add that the Lalique Manufacture is located here in Alsace, it is a truly fantastic place to visit. The nearby restaurant in Wingen-sur-Moder, Villa René Lalique, is fabulous too, while I've heard their more recent restaurant at Glenturret was pretty sublime as well (End of commercial break). Colour: deep gold. Nose: there's more smoke in this one, certainly more roasted nuts and toasted bread, more walnuts too, but the core remains similarly mustardy, metallic, medicinal and sooty, although there would be another dimension too, around umami, savoury sauces, dried vegetable mix for ready-made soups… also, perhaps, touches of overripe bananas… What's sure is that this is complex. Mouth: a rounder and earthier '1989', with more leather and tobacco too. Otherwise mustard, some smokiness, walnut wine, fino, chalk, ale, bitters (amer bière Picon) and bitter chocolate. Finish: once again the finish is a little rounder, I'm even finding a handful of sultanas and a few dried figs. The aftertaste is a little mustardy and leathery again, but peppery marmalade is achieving the signature, so to speak. Comments: truly excellent and still very peculiar, while the decanter, once emptied, sure is a keeper.
SGP:552 - 89 points.

Check the index of all Glenturret we've tasted so far