Glen Garioch, within the face of Stormʃowyn

Glen Garioch 11 yo 2011/2023 (53.2% Hidden Spirits for Rudder, cask #1123, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 267 bottles)
Color: pale white wine. Nostril: creamy and waxy, however with a properly chalky and barely gristy high quality as effectively which brings a way of balancing dryness. Will get additionally rapidly very bready and yeasty, going in the direction of high notch blanc du blanc Champagne, then a number of yellow flowers equivalent to dandelions. Actually having fun with the evolution of this one, and all the massive ‘white wine’ vibes, that are at all times welcome in these bare highlanders. With water: on lemons, waxes, sheep wool and extra of those inexperienced notes that counsel vase water and crushed nettles. Mouth: very near the distillate, younger, inexperienced, chalky, waxy and with fairly a little bit of vase water and chlorophyll. Additionally, peppery watercress and tarragon. With water: a little bit straighter, in that it is fairly dominated by grasses, cereals, chalk, dry waxes and peppery notes. End: medium, drying, peppery and with a pleasant flinty mineral contact. Feedback: I like these younger Glen Gariochs, however they’re somewhat highly effective and punchy drams. I can think about these casks at 20+ years outdated might be sensational. 
SGP: 461 – 85 factors. 

Glen Garioch 18 yo 2003 (58.3%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 19.50 ‘A Particular Deal with’, 1st fill barrel, 186 bottles)
Color: pale gold. Nostril: you see the similarities, it feels right away like the identical weight of distillate, however that is broader, deeper and extra dominated by heather honey and a few stunning notes of citrus curds, preserved unique fruits and fruit salad juices. Additionally a pang of one thing barely lactic, like mango lassi, and a few traditional waxes and vanilla sponge cake. With water: extra peppery and feeling general drier, punchier and extra filled with breads and cereals. Mouth: pretty stability between the sweetness and spice of the oak, and the juiciness, waxes and fruits of the distillate. Appears like an exemplary ‘fashionable highlander’ on this regard. A number of extra inexperienced fruit notes and a nudge in the direction of grasses and nettles in a manner which is near the 2011. With water: as on the nostril, it turns into drier and extra cereal, with extra peppery notes, extra waxes and extra mineral traits. End: good size, maybe lacking among the overt fruitiness of the undiluted palate, however with wonderful notes of waxes and olive oil. Feedback: large, grown up, fashionable, highland malt whisky that shows wonderful distillery character. 
SGP: 561 – 87 factors.

Glen Garioch 31 yo (54.6%, Elixir Distillers ‘Macbeth Act One: The Thanes’, 4 bourbon barrels, 600 bottles)
Color: deep gold. Nostril: a decisively old-fashioned shift, with many waxes, honeys and dessert wine vibes. Additionally orange blossom, yellow plums, citrus curds and juicy fruit chewing gum. These citrus notes develop very superbly in the direction of issues like lemon peel and aged cheng pi, additionally fairly a number of fruit tea notes coming by means of as effectively. With water: orange marmalade, lime leaf, natural bitters and cigar ‘stuff’, like cedar wooden bins and humidors. Mouth: good arrival, although the oak nibbles a little bit bit right here and there, the final sense of waxes and honeys stays loud and clear. It is also extra orangey, with outdated Cointreau, orange liqueur and old school cocktail impressions. A number of resinous natural notes and issues like dried mint and fir wooden, together with camphor and putty. With water: wee notes of coconut water and gorse flower, together with a resurgent flavour of flower honey, nectars and pollens. A barely peppery and spicy waxy character, together with some strongly brewed fruit teas. End: lengthy, on flowers, nectars, inexperienced and unique fruit cordials and a drying, peppery end. Feedback: actually wonderful, however a little bit an excessive amount of wooden right here and there prevents it hitting the 90 mark in my wee guide. Pretty outdated Glen Garioch although. 
SGP: 561 – 89 factors. 

Glen Garioch 40 yo 1973/2014 (54.3%, OB for The Whisky Alternate, #4297, sherry butt, 138 bottles)
Color: reddish mahogany. Nostril: peat and old-style sherry, at nice age, reaching an ideal singularity! Beautiful notes of hardwood resins, natural cough syrups, large umami notes equivalent to Maggi and black olive tapenade, after which pure tar resins, delicate wooden smoke and teas equivalent to lapsing souchong and pu erh. Additionally liquorice root and a rising natural liqueur vibe. Lovely and undoubtedly a misplaced type of whisky. With water: magnificent, even deeper, richer and broader in profile. Beautiful earthiness, many tobacco and cigar qualities, a complete humidor of aged, unlit cigars, walnut liqueur, very outdated dry oloroso and the most effective darkish chocolate. Mouth: wonderful arrival, undeniably assertive woodiness, however it’s by no means astringent, as an alternative it is filled with stunningly detailed spices, contemporary espresso, pure tar, bitter herbs, lovage, bouillon and sport meats. All completely built-in with these resinous peat and drugs notes, dried flowers, incense and wormwood. A whisky that should not work, however completely does. With water: turns into velvety in texture and develops a shocking chocolatey word, together with salted liquorice, bay leaf, extra pure tar and extra camphor notes. Additionally many darker fruit notes rising, equivalent to cassis and bramble cordial. Juicy, darkish and outrageously velvety in texture. End: lengthy, again on earthy black tea, inexperienced Chartreuse, orange cocktail bitters, clove and aniseed. An ideal bitterness that includes chocolate, espresso and Maggi lingers into the aftertaste. Feedback: casks like these are actually uncommon occurrences in whisky, and arguably completely extinct nowadays. A tremendous fusion of historic sherry and outdated type peated highland distillate. 
SGP: 474 – 92 factors. 

Glen Garioch 29 yo 1968/1997 (56.9%, OB, cask #623, sherry hogshead)
From a bottle that my good friend and enterprise associate, Jonny McMillan, has simply opened and which he is together with in an outdated and uncommon bottle tasting in partnership along with his former employers, Berry Brothers, in London subsequent month. I imagine there are nonetheless tickets out there… Color: reddish espresso. Nostril: the identical territory because the 1973, however that is one other degree. The identical gorgeous fusion of peat and sherry, however the peat is extra distinguished right here and additionally it is rather more opulently on darkish, luscious fruits. Raisins and sultanas soaked in very outdated Fins Bois cognac, fig jam, darkish fruit chutneys with very outdated balsamic, prune molasses, date syrup and toasted fennel seed. The interaction of darkish fruits, sub-divided outdated peat and numerous natural inclusions is simply completely beautiful. With water: saltier, extra rugged, leaning barely extra in the direction of the sherry now with these gorgeous earthy, salty and sherry bodega vibes. Additionally artichoke and inexperienced walnut liqueurs with soy sauce and Iberico ham. Mouth: immense, completely gorgeous, instantly name the anti-maltoporn brigade please! Unsure they’ll get right here on this climate, we’ll simply need to persevere… the peat is so thick, dense, wonderful dry, peppery, natural and even vegetal; a mode that jogs my memory of some a lot older Forties Highland Park bottlings we opened on Orkney round ten years in the past. Additionally an enormous slug of very outdated Clacquesin tar liqueur. So many tiny subtleties and particulars that we could possibly be right here for hours, however actually it is a whisky about immensity, managed energy and drive of persona. With water: censored! We’re off, misplaced in that zone the place the whisky has taken the lead and you’re left scrambling to maintain up. End: immense, nearly excessive, and comedically lengthy. A whisky that laughs over its shoulder at you! Feedback: the 40yo was gorgeous, however this one, captured at a youthful age, is simply in one other galaxy. Whisky that just about bodily forces you to re-examine your individual concepts about high quality and flavour. 
SGP: 566 – 94 factors.