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| Hello, that is one in every of our (nearly) every day tastings. Santé! |
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June 6, 2025
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The Return of the Glentauchers (Half 3)
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We sampled loads of Glentauchers in Might, then took a break for numerous causes, so it is time to get again to it, as we have so many but to strive. As soon as once more, we’re going about it a bit randomly, only for the enjoyable of it. Thanks in your understanding.
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Glentauchers 23 yo 1997/2021 (53.2%, The Single Malts of Scotland, barrel, cask #401, 157 bottles) 
Consideration, we all know these batches might be little marvels… Color: straw. Nostril: properly, that is virtually pure mandarin juice! Actually, it’s relatively bonkers. Granted, there are smaller parts within the background (cassata, candied fruits, white beer) however the mandarin reigns supreme. No drawback, we’re pleased to associate with it. With water: fruity beer, IPA with a closely mandarin-forward hop. Mouth (neat): honey, nougat, and guess what? Bravo, you have nailed it, mandarin liqueur (Corsican, ideally). With water: a contact of winery peach, which makes for a pleasing change. End: lengthy, contemporary, all on citrus with a splash of honey. Feedback: beautiful fragrant purity. The trade-off is that it is not outrageously advanced, however who cares, we’re smitten.
SGP:641 – 89 factors. |
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Glentauchers 10 yo 2014/2025 (61.8%, Alambic Classique, 1st fill Bordeaux pink wine barrel, cask #25011, 294 bottles) 
I concern we’ll by no means once more escape the clutches of pink Bordeaux… That stated, we do get pleasure from what Alambic Classique produces, and let’s be sincere, the corporate title does sound relatively French. Color: gold (not rosé). Nostril: oh sure, this leaves a mark, full throttle on blood orange and cherry clafoutis. With water: cherry tart, plain and easy. Mouth (neat): I do ponder whether this qualifies as an totally weird idea, however one executed with disarming precision. At this stage we’ve left malt whisky far behind; we’re deep in marc de Bordeaux territory, all aged in ex-whisky casks. The worst half? It really works, which is frankly a bit unsettling. Granted, one should get pleasure from blood oranges, however I most definitely do. With water: it’s worse, it’s even higher. Now we’re absolutely on cherries. End: lengthy, fruity, starring the present chart-toppers, blood oranges and cherries. Feedback: I’m not fully positive what to say. Maybe the trick is solely to go all-in, and which may simply be the key right here. Nevertheless it was a cracking cask in any case, in my opinion very moist and really clear.
SGP:741 – 87 factors. |
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Isn’t it one thing, I’m beginning to scare myself… Fast, a barrel of bourbon…
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Glentauchers 15 yo 2009/2025 (54.6%, Whisky Age, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #800647, 233 bottles)
Beautiful label finished by Taiwan’s Hong Fu-Tian. Allow us to help the true artists and refuse the slop! Color: white wine. Nostril: we’re again in comparable territory to the primary one, solely this time it’s not mandarin-led however relatively constructed round apple, small inexperienced pears, jujubes, rowan berries, and only a contemporary baguette from the closest French bakery. I’m fairly positive they’ve obtained these in Taiwan too. With water: lemon and chalk come into play… Mouth (neat): pure barley eau-de-vie, rounded out with distillates of tiny berries, holly, rowan, service tree, and once more that relatively particular apple character à la Rochelt’s Gravenstein from Tyrol. With water: oh glorious, ultra-precise, apples and small berries accented with a little bit of lime. It’s nearly refreshing, which is precisely the place the hazard lies. End: contemporary and fruity like a correct do-it-yourself lemonade. Feedback: blimey, we’re flying excessive once more!
SGP:651 – 89 factors. |
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Glentauchers 2008/2024 (51.7%, Liquid Artwork, tenth Anniversary, sherry oak, 96 bottles)
Color: white wine. So not precisely a sherry bomb, one presumes. Nostril: truthful sufficient—cassata, contemporary butter, all kinds of candied fruits, and a few correct contemporary panettone. Might I take this second to induce our Italian associates to make top-tier panettone all 12 months spherical, not simply at Christmas. Thanks in your understanding. With water: freshly pressed orange juice. Mouth (neat): we’re again with orange blossom, Belgian mandarin liqueur (the liqueur is Belgian, not the mandarins), and fruitcake aplenty. With water: a little bit tighter, brisker, all on citrus with just a few honeyed notes. End: lengthy, fruity, and completely charming. Feedback: citrus guidelines the world, and this has nothing to do with the Bilderberg membership, the Rothschilds, Musk, the Illuminati, Putin, Taylor Swift or whoever else. Lengthy dwell citrus!
SGP:651 – 89 factors. |
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Proper then, time to tease the pink wine once more… Spanish, this time.
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Glentauchers 25 yo 1996/2022 (51.8%, The Whisky Cask Firm, Torres Pink Wine, cask #2007847, 197 bottles) 
Consideration, we have now the utmost respect for Torres, and we do get pleasure from their Sangre de Toro when holidaying down that manner—price much more in your glass than its meagre 6 to 7 euros, frankly. Color: partridge eye. Nostril: pink wine whisky, with mint, tomatoes, grenadine, contemporary strawberries—a really trendy profile, and I dare say on the rocks (and on vacation) it may work relatively properly. With water: sangria, plain and easy. Mouth (neat): vinous, however not unhealthy in any respect. Bitter orange, black pepper, strawberries, and a tisane of linden and thyme. With water: not disagreeable… End: right here’s the place it begins to unravel a bit, far too pink wine-forward for me. Strawberries in pink wine. Feedback: pure winesky. We’re keen on TWCC at WF, however this one’s flirting dangerously with full-blown winesky. The excellent news is it loves water. That stated, I do know there are die-hard followers of this fashion, and you understand what? They’re completely proper.
SGP:651 – 78 factors. |
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Glentauchers 12 yo 2012/2024 ‘100 Proof Version #18’ (57.1%, Signatory Classic, 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt) 
Color: deep gold. Nostril: walnut cake, a little bit Thai beef broth, hints of gun smoke, fig leaves, elastic bands, and a slab of chocolate. With water: walnut cake with a splash of marc from Burgundy—or Jura—or Bordeaux—or Champagne. Mouth (neat): after all it really works, it’s a stunning sherry, balanced, nonetheless all on walnut cake, tobacco, chocolate, and Americano espresso (which many would declare isn’t actual espresso in any respect) … With water: orange liqueur and ginger. End: fades ever so barely. Feedback: I like this collection, properly finished, bravo, spitzenklasse, however then again the distillery character is only a bit buried. Then once more, that’s at all times been the best way with lively sherry because the Eighties—one or the opposite, by no means each. No half measures.
SGP:561 – 84 factors. |
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Glentauchers 18 yo 2002-2005/2023 (53%, Whisky Sponge, 1st fill sherry butt and 1st fill bourbon barrel, 250 bottles)
I feel the paintings was beautiful right here. It’s a multi-vintage expression, however these vintages are so shut to one another that that shouldn’t change a lot. Now certainly the casks had been totally different. Color: pale gold. Nostril: traditional and austere, on apples, inexperienced pears, little berries and backyard fruits previous their prime, then melon and watermelon rinds. All very restrained. With water: filled with tiny vegetal touches of all kinds, you relatively get the impression you’ve wandered into an experimental greenhouse. Mouth (neat): this is excellent, extra on citrus and even inexperienced banana, in any other case your common orchard fruits—apples and all that. A slight white grappa notice. With water: marzipan is available in, and even some olives sweetened with honey. Ever tried that? End: medium size, extra on herbs and teas, even a little bit of hay. Feedback: truthfully, it’s fairly experimental by way of cask composition. However that’s most likely the place the appeal lies on this child that does depart you a little bit adrift—however with a lot pleasure.
SGP:551 – 88 factors. |
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Go on then, there’s nonetheless room for one final one…
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Glentauchers 12 yo 2010/2023 (56.3%, Milroy’s, Soho Choice, 1st fill manzanilla hogshead end, cask #11125, 251 bottles)
The store on Greek St has gone a bit unusual—or at the very least it had the final time I used to be there, again in April—although I suppose one can’t precisely rope in Charles Maclean to run a wee bar-bottle store in central London. Anyway, the place could also be a little bit expensive nowadays, however the model’s whiskies stay jolly respectable… Color: gold. Nostril: sure, very clear, on Canadian apple ice wine and sultanas. Apricot liqueur (Swiss, after all) and mirabelle liqueur (Lorraine, naturally). With water: shifts in direction of quince, which is good news. Mouth (neat): these mandarins from the primary TSMOS reappear, however this one’s hotter, a contact rougher across the edges. With water: no worries, all’s properly—it’s a properly balanced fruitiness we’ve obtained right here. End: pretty lengthy although rather less exact. Overripe apples. Feedback: the nostril is a thousand instances higher than the palate. Nonetheless, an excellent younger Glentauchers.
SGP:541 – 83 factors. |
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Come on, we’ve obtained an excellent ten minutes…
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Glentauchers 8 yo 2009/2017 (52.5%, Asta Morris, Timeless & Tasty, Whisky & Extra, Hong Kong, 90 bottles) 
You actually do discover the oddest issues within the WF pattern library, frogs included. Color: full gold. Nostril: fairly jammy, on quince jelly, mirabelle jam, then a stunning glass of late-harvest Pinot Gris. Alsatian, naturally. With water: pleasant—quince, chamomile, pistachio syrup… Mouth (neat): very stunning smoky aspect, maybe from a earlier occupant of the cask. At this level we’re misplaced; this doesn’t really feel like one in every of our infants—what is that this? With water: all panic stations—sharp edges, dissonance, smoke and burn. End: lengthy however rubbery, smoky, tarry, and all layered over cider. Feedback: I can’t make it work, so we’ll go along with a provisional rating and assume once more about this younger Glentauchers. And about and the state of the world whereas we’re at it (however after all, S., however after all…)
SGP:563 – 80 factors. |
| There shall be many extra quickly |
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