Glen Garioch 1971 for Oddbins

Glen Garioch 1971 for Oddbins

Official bottling
Single malt - East Highlands
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, camphor, black tea, raisins, sea salt, hints of roast chicken, hints of mustard. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, oily, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Camphor, leather, gentian, raisins, roast chicken, sea salt, black pepper. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, leather, gentian, camphor, hints of mustard. 

Comments: 

Bitter and herbal to begin with, but leather and raisins take over. There’s some savoury notes as well, and a tinge of the characteristic mustard. Tastes old, which it is, of course.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

SMWS 19.43 (Glen Garioch 19yo 1988/2008)

SMWS 19.43 (Glen Garioch 1988/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - East Highlands 
Golden, hints of pink
53.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, cream, candle wax, hay, fresh cut grass, camphor, hints of turmeric. With water, raisins, blueberry jam, honey, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, warm, astringent. 

Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Blueberry jam, hay, fresh cut grass, camphor, mustard, gooseberries, hints of cocoa nibs. With water, mustard, applesauce, blueberry jam, cinnamon, honey. 
Finish: Short. Camphor, candle wax, hay, gooseberries, applesauce, hints of cocoa nibs. 

Comments: 

Creamy and herbal, and water brings out a lot of fruit. It’s got a bitterness on the tongue that is almost mouth puckering. It’s layered and complex though, with clear delineation between flavours. Very good whisky. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Garioch 10yo Single Highland Malt

Glen Garioch 10yo Single Highland Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - East Highlands
Amber gold

40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, hay, fresh cut grass, tobacco leaf, camphor, mustard, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Honey, raisins, camphor, mustard, wet stones, hay, black tea, hints of cloves, hints of turmeric. 
Finish: Short. Wet stones, candle wax, black tea, hay, hints of turneric. 

Comments: 

An old official bottling from the 90s. It’s more intense than today’s OBs, tastes like there’s more older spirit in it.  The grassy herbal character is more evident here than in the current OBs too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Garioch 33yo 1978/2012 for Milroy’s of Soho

Glen Garioch 33yo 1978/2012 for Milroy’s of Soho

Official bottling
Single malt - East Highlands
Dark gold
58.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, white grapes, digestive biscuits, leather, honey, gooseberries, hints of cream. With water, honey, malted grains, coffee, hints of digestive biscuits. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, volatile, astringent, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Toffee, dark chocolate, white pepper, leather, white grapes, gooseberries, coffee, malted grains. With water, honey, white grapes, malted grains, coffee. 
Finish: Long. Gooseberries, honey, coffee, toffee, hints of mustard. 

Comments: 

Cask 10999. Sweet with big bitter notes that come in waves. Water brings out the malty sweetness, less fruity, but still the bitter fragrant notes that taste like coffee. Delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Garioch 41yo 1978/2020 Handfilled Cask 11002

Glen Garioch 41yo 1978/2020

Official bottling
Single malt - East Highlands
Golden brown
55.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, mustard, photocopy paper, orange peel, honey, oolong tea, turmeric. With water, honey, chocolate, damson jam, turmeric. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, hot, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Chocolate, toffee, orange peel, honey, turmeric, mustard, tobacco leaf. With water, leather, damson jam, tobacco leaf, white grapes. 
Finish: Long. White grapes, orange peel, mustard, honey. 

Comments: 

Cask 11002. Fruity and bitter sweet, lots of layered complex notes, it’s a rich and rounded whisky. There’s that characteristic mustard and pungent turmeric note on the nose. Lovely whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glen Garioch 30yo 1990/2020

Glen Garioch 30yo 1990/2020

Celebration of the Cask, Carn Mor
Single malt - East Highlands
White wine 
52.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cotton sheets, white wine, malted grains, yoghurt, white grapes, hints of white pepper. With water, lemon sweets, camphor, mustard, white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. White wine, autumn leaves, camphor, white grapes, mustard, cotton sheets, photocopy paper. With water, white wine, white grapes, cotton sheets, fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Short. White grapes, malted grains, fresh cut grass, hints of yoghurt. 

Comments: 

Cask 20253. Lactic and spritely, lots of tart fruity notes. The mustard is there though, but gentle, more like an earthiness that pervades the whisky. Well layered, but I like the lactic notes less.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Garioch 35yo 1986/2021

Glen Garioch 35yo 1986/2021

Extra Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single malt - East Highlands
Light gold 
50.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh cut grass, white grapes, leather, magic marker, pears, camphor, hints of chillies. With water, magic marker, camphor, sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, expands, airy. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. White grapes, leather, autumn leaves, mustard, chillies, pears, lohan fruit. With water, sea salt, pears, sandalwood, hints of fresh cut grass. 
Finish: Short. Pears, magic marker, white grapes, mustard. 

Comments: 

Cask DL15060. Very herbal and savoury, but there’s plenty of the more bitter and complex sorts of fruits - chillies and lohan- and a touch of the classic Garioch mustard. A slightly disappointing short finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Garioch 23yo 1989/2013

Glen Garioch 23yo 1989/2013

Passenger Liners, Jack Wieber’s Whisky World
Single malt - East Highlands
White wine
54.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Ink, white wine, malted grains, white pepper, cream, hints of sultanas. With water, lemon zest, peaches, sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Mustard, leather, coffee, white wine, white pepper, tobacco leaf, ink, leather. With water, coffee, mustard, ink, lemon zest, sea salt. 
Finish: Short. White pepper, mustard, coffee, lemon zest, leather. 

Comments: 

Bitter and herbal, but with tantalising hints of sweet fruit here and there. Water brings even more bitterness to the fore, but also some fragrant citrusy lemon. A very nice dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Garioch 27yo 1991/2018

Glen Garioch 27yo 1991/2018

Carn Mor
Single malt - East Highlands
Golden
51% ABV
Dram

Nose: Wet stones, pencil lead, green tea, coffee, mustard, lemon, cinnamon, hints of oregano. With water, lemon zest, peaches, sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Wet stones, peaches, leather, smoke, lemon zest, hints of walnut skins. With water, pencil lead, mustard, peaches, oregano. 
Finish: Long. Smoke, leather, walnut skins, wet stones. 

Comments: 

Herbal and pungent, lots of the sulphurous notes that herbs like mustard and oregano have. It’s elegant and complex, bitter notes come to the fore, but fade with a little water.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Garioch 25yo 1989/2014

Glen Garioch 25yo 1989/2014

Earth Flying, The Whisky Agency
Single malt - East Highlands
Pale yellow
50.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cocoa nibs, molasses, musk, dark chocolate, orange peel, brass polish. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, mouth coating, expands slightly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Brass polish, dark chocolate, cinnamon, orange peel, damson jam, tarragon, hints of cream. 
Finish: Medium. Orange peel, damson jam, vanilla, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

This Geery is sweet and chocolatey, with some feinty edges and a nice tarragon note on the tongue. No water for this one, it’s right on the edge for me, and is very skippable.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Garioch 23yo 1991/2014

Glen Garioch 23yo 1991/2014

Limited Edition, Sansibar
Single malt - East Highlands
Dark gold
51.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coffee, dark chocolate, tobacco leaf, mint, malted grains, palm sugar, hints of damson jam. With water, fresh cut grass, tarragon, mint, blueberry jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, mouth coating, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Dark chocolate, blueberry jam, palm sugar, cloves, orange peel, hints of burnt sugar. With water, malted grains, dark chocolate, blueberry jam, tarragon. 
Finish: Long. Palm sugar, damson jam, blueberry jam, cloves, blackcurrant cordial, hints of mustard. 

Comments: 

Amazing old Glen Garioch. It’s sweet and sherried, but with water, some more burnt sweet notes appear, and a herbal edge which I think is a characteristic of Geery. Lovely whisky, this.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.
 

Glen Garioch 25yo 1990/2015

Glen Garioch 25yo 1990/2015

25th Anniversary, Usquebaugh Society
Single malt - East Highlands
Golden, hints of copper
56.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Magic marker, winter melons, white chocolate, orange juice, honeydew melons, hints of cough syrup. With water, milk chocolate, orange juice, lemon zest, leather. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Leather, winter melons, celery salt, fresh cut grass, raisins, honeydew melons, milk chocolate, hints of cough syrup. With water, leather, orange juice, honeydew melons. 
Finish: Medium. Milk chocolate, cough syrup, leather, raisins, cloves. 

Comments: 

Cask 7937. Milky and chocolatey Glen Garioch, with some old bottle effect and lots of fruit. The peppery distillate seems to have been toned down a bit, but there’s still some funk present.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Garioch 10yo Equinox & Solstice Summer 2022

Glen Garioch 10yo Equinox & Solstice Summer 2022

Equinox & Solstice, Decadent Drinks
Single malt - East Highlands
Silver
48.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: White wine, elderflower, sultanas, fresh cut grass, vanilla, apple juice. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, mouth coating, airy, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. White wine, elderflower, black tea, orange peel, cinnamon, hints of ginseng, hints of coffee. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, ginseng, sultanas, strawberry laces. 

Comments: 

Delicate and floral, I’ve not had a Geery like this before. The tart, slightly acrid mustard note is absent. It’s young and almost quaffable, subtly sweet and very nice indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Garioch 34yo 1988/2022

Glen Garioch 34yo 1988/2022

Exceptional Cask, Berry Bros & Rudd
Single malt - Eastern Highlands
Amber bronze
45.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, leather, apple juice, celery salt, fresh cut grass, hints of orange peel, hints of candle wax. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, loosens, warms. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Apple juice, leather, orange peel, starfruit, autumn leaves, white grapes, hints of celery salt, hints of candle wax. 
Finish: Long. Apple juice, toffee, starfruit, black pepper, hints of celery salt. 

Comments: 

Cask 1599. Fruity and waxy, some bitter vegetal notes but they are buried under the esters. It’s not quite what I’m led to believe Glen Garioch tastes like, but is delicious and unusual.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Garioch 29yo 1988 (bottled 2022) for East Coast Whisky

Glen Garioch 29yo 1988 (bottled 2022) for East Coast Whisky

Thompson Brothers
Single malt - Eastern Highlands
Amber gold
46.2% ABV

Bottle

Nose: White pepper, mustard seeds, honey, leather, celery salt, raisins, orange peel, hints of bananas. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, expands, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Wet stones, leather, pears, mustard seeds, honey, pencil lead, celery salt, orange peel. 
Finish: Long. Orange peel, pencil lead, leather, pears, hints of celery salt. 

Comments: 

The whisky has spent some time in HDPE. But it’s excellent - minerally and sweet, with nutty hints of mustard seeds. A really good old Garioch. Thank you Fred for the chance to get this lovely bottle.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Garioch 32yo 1988/2021

Glen Garioch 32yo 1988/2021

Old and Rare, Hunter Laing
Single malt - Eastern Highlands
Dark amber 
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Roast beef, honey, green tea, fresh cut grass, sea salt, American mustard. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, warm, slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Honey, vanilla, dark chocolate, sage, blueberries, autumn leaves, tarragon, hints of mustard oil. 
Finish: Short. Sage, fresh cut grass, honey, tarragon, hints of blackberries. 

Comments: 

So, apparently very old Glen Garioch has a mustard note. I did not know this, and it’s really obvious for this whisky. It’s several different flavours of mustard as well, ranging from sour, acrid American yellow mustard on the nose, to pungent mustard oil on the tongue to a sweet mostarda on the finish. Very interesting.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Garioch 15yo 1991/2006

Glen Garioch 15yo 1991/2006

Old Malt Cask, Douglas Laing 
Single malt - East Highlands
Pale yellow gold
50% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Barley sugar, leather, vanilla, honey, white grapes, hints of fresh cut grass. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, turns slippery, loosens slightly. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Leather, sea salt, fresh cut grass, honey, lemon zest, vanilla, hints of roast pork.
Finish: Medium. Barley sugar, fresh baked bread, sea salt, hints of vanilla. 

Comments: 

Cask 3061. Quite uncompromising. Lots of herbaceous notes, with a fair bit of peat. Not much sweetness in evidence, but a little meatiness on the tongue. I’m in two minds about this, it’s interesting rather than enjoyable. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Garioch 9yo 2011/2021

Glen Garioch 9yo 2011/2021

Carn Mor
Single malt - East Highlands
Dark gold
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, red grapes, sandalwood, toast, blueberries, hints of soy sauce. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, astringent, thickens. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, toast, leather, honey, red grapes, blueberries. 
Finish: Medium. Honey, red grapes, barley sugar, toast, hints of blueberries. 

Comments: 

Sweet and rich, lots of fruit over cereal notes. Pleasantly alluring, I particularly like the blueberry notes. Quite the sherried whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Garioch 1999 Wine Cask Matured

Glen Garioch 1999 Wine Cask Matured

Official bottling
Single malt - East Highlands
Amber red
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, red wine, marzipan, Demerara sugar, strawberry jam. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, tingly, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Red wine, marzipan, black tea, blackcurrant cordial, fresh baked bread, cocoa powder. 
Finish: Long. Cocoa powder, orange peel, marmalade, blackcurrant cordial. 

Comments: 

Distilled 1999, bottled 2018. It's sweet, lots of red fruit, jam and chocolate. Something cereally underneath, which must be the Glen Garioch spirit. Lots of wood in here, the cask finish dominates, but it's tasty nonetheless.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Garioch 1999/2013 Sherry Cask

Glen Garioch 1999/2013 Sherry Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - East Highlands
Dark amber
56.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, red grapes, prunes, blackberry jam, cloves, hints of vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, sticky, tingly, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Raisins, cloves, blueberry jam, brown paper, fresh baked bread, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Long. Fresh baked bread, black tea, cloves, blueberry jam. 

Comments: 

Definitely a sherry cask this - they've been very generous. It's wonderfully spicy and jammy, chockfull of cloves and blueberries. This is delicious stuff, and I'm so pleased that I'm able to taste it. Wonderful.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.