SMWS 35.247 (Glen Moray 11yo 2008/2019)

SMWS 35.247 (Glen Moray 11yo 2008/2019)

2019, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Amber bronze

65% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, almonds, walnut skins, cinnamon, cloves, apple juice, dates, toffee. With water, raisins, white pepper, aluminium foil. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cream, raisins, walnut skins, cedar, toffee, white pepper, dates, cocoa nibs. With water, raisins, cream, brown paper, honey. 
Finish: Long. Cream, cocoa nibs, cloves, raisins, dates. 

Comments: 

Sherried Speyside, very classic, very high in ABV. Lots of bitter notes offset the sweet, and there’s a good sherried nuttiness that pervades the whole dram. Stands out among a crowded pack.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Moray 2008 Warehouse 1 Manzanilla Finish

Glen Moray 2008 Warehouse 1 Manzanilla Finish

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber gold
54.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, white grapes, malted grains, apricot jam, vanilla, hints of camphor. With water, brown paper, malted grains, peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, static, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Bananas, malted grains, apricot jam, peaches, cinnamon, vanilla, golden syrup. With water, dark chocolate, malted grains, apricot jam, vanilla. 
Finish: Long. Dark chocolate, malted grains, bananas, golden syrup. 

Comments: 

Sweet and jammy, and laden with some surprising banana too notes. Water opens it up, revealing more maltiness and dark chocolate. It’s got a nice level of complexity and has taken the sherry well.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glen Moray 15yo 2007/2023

Glen Moray 15yo 2007/2023

Thompson Brothers
Single malt - Speyside
Copper gold
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear drops, white grapes, honey, clay dust, sandalwood, kiwifruit. With water, honey, toast, green tea, pear drops. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, warm, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White grapes, pear drops, apple juice, honey, cinnamon, sandalwood, toast, hints of malted grains. With water, toast, green tea, kiwifruit, hints of autumn leaves. 
Finish: Medium. Toast, malted grains, apple juice, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Excellent pear drop notes, very estery whisky. Lots of fruit and some earthiness underpinning it all. Opens up beautifully with water, revealing a smoky, toasty note. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Moray 30yo 1991/2022

Glen Moray 30yo 1991/2022

Hidden Spirits Whisky Company
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark gold
50.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, honey, lemon zest, white grapes, cream, nutmeg, mace, hints of orange sherbet. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, turns watery around the edges. 
Tasting:  Sour. Cream soda, mace, cucumber, peaches, orange sherbet, lemon zest, malted grains, hints of photocopy paper. 
Finish: Medium. Photocopy paper, nutmeg, lemon zest, mace, cucumber, hints of peaches. 

Comments: 

A magnificent dram. Lots of lemon zest and cream soda, alongside fruit and an intense, yet gentle hit of mace. It’s absolutely delicious, one of the best drams of 2022.

Verdict:

Magnificent. 

Glen Moray 13yo 2008/2021 Unpeated Cask Sample, Ex-Red Wine Cask 2956

Glen Moray 13yo 2008/2021 Unpeated Cask Sample, Ex-Red Wine Cask 2956

Caskshare 
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark amber
Around 55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Dark chocolate, hazelnuts, honey, cocoa nibs, raisins, pruneaux, hints of black pepper, hints of sandalwood. With water, dark chocolate, black pepper, pruneaux, hints of aluminium foil. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Dark chocolate, raisins, black tea, coffee, bananas, marshmallows, sandalwood, hints of cloves. With water, pruneaux, raisins, black tea, coffee, bananas. 
Finish: Short. Bananas, marshmallows, black tea, coffee, hints of black pepper. 

Comments: 

Winey and fragrant, the flavours in this Glen Moray imparted by the red wine cask seem to have melded well. Lots of pruneaux and bitter notes, but a floral fruity finish of banana marshmallows. Quite delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Moray 10yo 2009/2020

Glen Moray 10yo 2009/2020

Selection, Adelphi
Single malt - Speyside 
Gold, hints of pink
59.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Marzipan, cola nuts, orange peel, vanilla, honey, fresh baked bread, hints of stale beer. With water, sweeter, candy floss, bubble gum, vanilla, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, mouth coating, loosens slightly, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cola nuts, orange peel, honey, fresh baked bread, stale beer, oats, chocolate, hints of new plastic. With water, honey, candy floss, new plastic, hints of bubble gum. 
Finish: Medium. Oats, new plastic, orange peel, marzipan. 

Comments: 

This whisky is quite fragrant and sweet, but upon sitting exposed to air, it takes on a slightly plasticky note, still almost malty. It’s not unpleasant, but it’s certainly less interesting than the initial nose.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Moray 13yo 2007/2020

Glen Moray 13yo 2007/2020

Thompson Bros
Single malt - Speyside 
Bright gold
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, malted grains, toffee, sea salt, orange peel, ground almonds. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, sticky, syrupy, tingly. 
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch, orange peel, fresh baked bread, hints of desiccated coconut. 
Finish: Short. Sea salt, malted grains, vanilla sponge, fresh baked bread, white grapes. 

Comments: 

There’s a touch of grain in this malt, oddly, at least as far as the flavour notes are concerned. Coconutty at the back of the tongue, the cereally notes are overlaid by chocolate and vanilla, rather good bourbon cask flavours. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Moray 10yo

Glen Moray 10yo

Chorlton Whisky
Single malt - Speyside
Bright gold
57.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, vanilla, apple juice, toast, sea salt, white grapes. With water, honey, white grapes, apples. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slightly oily, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Toast, shortcrust pastry, vanilla, apple juice, brass polish. With water, sandalwood, white grapes, honey. 
Finish: Short. Apple juice, toast, vanilla, lemon juice, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Intense, spicy, fruity, Glen Moray. It's especially good for being so strong, there's some salinity in it as well, which makes a big difference. With water, it opens up, becoming more herbal and fragrant, but retaining a lot of sweetness. Very good whisky indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glen Moray 10yo Batch 2

Glen Moray 10yo Batch 2

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
48.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, cola nuts, chocolate, orange peel, burnt caramel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, turns slippery, watery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, cola nuts, chocolate, butterscotch, orange peel. 
Finish: Long. Cola nuts, malted grains, lemon zest, honey. 

Comments: 

Spicy, darkly sweet Glen Moray. Doesn't taste as young as it is, and there's a lot of bitter alongside the sweet to keep it interesting. Fairly good whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Moray 10 yo Chardonnay Cask

Glen Moray 10 yo Chardonnay Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, cola nuts, malted grains, white grapes, nutmeg, hints of vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cola nuts, grass, white grapes, nutmeg, hints of red pepper, hints of vanilla . 
Finish: Medium. White grapes, grass, nutmeg, hints of sage. 

Comments: 

Herbal and grassy on the tongue, but the wine finish also imparts a great deal of fruit and spice. This apparently spent all its 10 years in the Chardonnay cask. Lots of flavour, light and refreshing. Good whisky, very good whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 35.32 (Glen Moray 34 yo 1975/2009)

SMWS 35.32 (Glen Moray 34 yo 1975/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Bright amber
55.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Jasmine, red wine, cinnamon, blackcurrants, raisins, maraschino cherries, hints of butter. With water, vanilla, condensed milk.
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, slightly astringent, warms up. With water, loosens.
Tasting: Sweet. Blackcurrants, raisins, maraschino cherries, orange peel, cinnamon, red wine, hints of jasmine. With water, sweeter, vanilla, condensed milk, orange peel.
Finish: Long. Bitter melon, cinnamon, red wine, soot. With water, soot disappears, more raisins, blackcurrants.

Comments:

Old, and rare. Quite a chameleon, especially once water is added. It's strong, sweet and smoky, even sooty, but once water is added the sooty, ashy element melts away to become even more fruit - blackcurrants and raisins predominate. Very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 35.27 (Glen Moray 10 yo 1998/2009)

SMWS 35.27 (Glen Moray 10 yo 1998/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Golden, tinge of orange
58.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, burnt sugar, caramel, raisins, marshmallows, quinces, hints of brown paper.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, turns watery.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Brown paper, burnt sugar, vanilla, raisins, quinces, hints of liquorice.
Finish: Medium. Brown paper, quinces, vanilla.

Comments:

This whisky was titled "Floating Turtles over Lynchburg" by the SMWS. There are some slight hints of brown paper and burnt sugar, which does bring to mind Old No 7. You don't often get marshmallows and quinces in bourbon though!

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Moray Classic NAS

Glen Moray Classic NAS

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
White wine
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Raisins, white wine, slate, hot rocks, cinamon, hints of chocolate, hints of plums.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, turns watery, loose.
Tasting: Sour bitter. Citron tart, vanilla, lemons, chinese egg roll, hints of quinine, hints of white wine.
Finish: Medium. Spicy, lemons, hints of vanilla.

Comments:

The bitter notes make this whisky slightly unpleasant. It's drinkable (lots of drinks are drinkable, and being whisky, this is still better than most), but no more.

Verdict:

Not bad.

SMWS 35.25 (Glen Moray 10 yo 1998/2008)

SMWS 35.25 (Glen Moray 10 yo 1998/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Pink gold
59.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, butter, smoked ham, toffee, raisins, Brazil nuts, hints of apples.
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, volatile, thickens in the mouth.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, mint, vanilla, honey, hints of peat, hints of butter.
Finish: Short. Salty, Brazil nuts, orange peel.

Comments:

You can have too much of a good thing I suppose. There's a really interesting whisky lurking inside this, but it's hidden in folds and layers of Brazil nut. I like Brazil nuts as much as the next man, but having to scrape through to find sweet, fruity and meaty notes underneath is a little frustrating. Shame.

Verdict:

Not bad.

SMWS 35.22 (Glen Moray 10 yo 1998/2008)

SMWS 35.22 (Glen Moray 10 yo 1998/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
59.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, apples, caster sugar, cinnamon, lemons, hints of brass polish.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens in the mouth, slightly fizzy.
Tasting: Sour. Sherry, oat bread, nutmeg, apples, spiced barley, lemons, hints of custard apple, hints of pastry.
Finish: Medium. Lemons, orange crush.

Comments:

Apple pie! The SMWS tasting notes describe this one as "apple pie and lemon sherbet", which is very apt. The finish is quite spectacular, tastes like Fanta Orange. I think it's not sweet enough though - spoils the apple pie image slightly. Nevertheless, a pretty decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.