Glen Elgin 19yo 1991-2010 57.5% MacKillop's Choice cask#4065 btl.113
Glen Elgin is also one that I have a hard time placing under a category, but what I know is a fact is that they often have some amazing sherried malts. Smells very strong, phenolic, chlorine, rubber, a powerbomb, I can with certainty predict its gonna need some water. The taste is Way peppery yet also full of grassiness, herbs, coleslaw and blackberries. Doesn't need water when I think about it, but I'll try anyway. Please do not add water as it then turns into a peppery spearmint malt without any punch.
A whisky that delivers on the palate but lacks on the finish: 7
Glen Elgin 19yo 1971-1990 50.4% Cadenhead's
I often fin the green dumpy miniatures from Cadenhead's to be overlooked in comparison to miniatures from such as Signatory, Old Malt Cask and Malts of Scotland, although often superior what quality is concerned in my opinion. Smells well rounded, withdrawn sweet spirit, calvados? Not a malt that talks. The taste is peppery and minty, a strange mix of mint leaves and white pepper. With water it gets more rustic, sour, aspic, wet lambswool, kind of entertaining as its far from the taste usually found in a speysider.
Turns out quite exciting in the end: 6.5
Glen Elgin 25yo 1984-2010 42.3% Bladnoch Forum cask#2850 btl.88/211
I have not tried any bottling from the Bladnoch Forum yet, at least that I can remember. I have a feeling that Glen Elgin is a distillery making whisky often of superb quality, but is rarely recognized as much as it deserves. Anyway, lets try this and see.. A pale whisky from a hogshead, smells very fresh and light, cream cheese, wet grass, spring morning air. The palate reveals some grassy notes, summer flowers, its just a bit too light and playful to take seriously. A perfect summers dram, I could have this one with shrimps, fish soup or any other light summer dish.
A light summer dram: 5
Glen Elgin NAS 43% OB White Horse dist. for Japan
I don't know if this is the usual 12yo only with age statement written in japanese letters? Or it's some special bottling for foreign markets? Anyway, only one way to try an find out. Smells fruity, creamy, hints of sweet fruits and bitterness, a pleasant contradiction. The taste is far more complex than the Scapa. At first it's light, melon, raisins and coconut milk, really tropical, then it turns peppery, really an explosion to say the least. The aftertaste is long and keeps going with notes of chilli, blue cheese and onion.
A nice variation, very straightforward: 5
Glen Elgin 20yo 1976-1996 46.3% The Whisky Connoisseur btl.x/70
An edition of only 70 bottles, I'm surprised any of them have survived the last 13 years then. Probably a collectable item..muhahaha... I drink the whisky, I don't collect it! On the other hand, if it weren't for the collectors I guess much older whisky available at auctions today perhaps would be long gone. The taste is vanilla, beautiful vanilla notes all the way. The taste is vanilla, lemon, peppery, gingerbread, beer stew(irish?) and something minty at the finish. It's an honest whisky from a bourbon-cask that's blended beautifully with the mellow distillery charistica of Glen Elgin.
Second winner from Glen Elgin in two days, I'm impressed: 8
Glen Elgin 14yo 46% Cadenhead's
A very dark sherried Glen Elgin, probably from the 80's or so, smells sweet, lovely fragrances, sweet onions, paprika, plums, grapes, mild. Beautiful olorose taste, dry, kind of dusty, sweet, phenolic, bitter. It strikes me as abnormally dry for a whisky watered down to 46% prior to bottling. Lets add some water. Water really brings out the potential here, lot's of flowery notes, herbal, still sweet, caramel, not as fruity but still a smashing dessert malt.
Glen Elgin at its best: 9
Glen Elgin 37yo 1968-2005 46% Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & Macphail
You hardly come across old Glen Elgins at affordable prices anymore, unless your making it big financially. This one is much darker than the other sherried malts of tonight. Smells characteristicly of sherry, fino? Spiced, pretty light, dry, then dryer and dryer. The finish just keeps on with dry.
A dry whisky: 5.5
Glen Elgin 21yo 1973-1994 50.3% Signatory Vintage btl.183/600 btl. 6100 CS
A cask strengt Glen Elgin is one to try, ususally. The nose is a powerful experience, very excotic, rum, coca cola, sweet onion, honey, pickles, garlic and leather. It tastes dry and much older than 21yo, actually it's a bit too dry for my taste. I'll give it some water, then it makes a fantastic malt, sweet, again honeyed, a little dryness and some grilled onions. Not the finest malt, but if you wanna test your palate, it's an obvious choice.
An intriguing dram: 6
Glen Elgin 22yo 1971-1993 50.1% Cadenhead's
A good old cask strength from Cadenheads, preferable to the 46%'s almost any day. Inviting fragrances, very aromatic, like the distillery bottlings, just less salty. On the palate it's very sweet and mellow, honey and fruit gum. It finishes quite passive with some pencil eraser and wet woolen sweater. Doesn't sound too good, but it works and lifts my overall impression.
Damn, I forgot to add water: 5.5
Glen Elgin 12yo 43% OB
A strong, powerful and enticing speyside malt, unfortunately not as easy to get a hold of as many others. Much pepper and seaweed, short but strong aftertaste. Could have been mistaken for an Islay.
A tasty and zesty malt: 8
Glen Elgin 25yo 1984-2010 43.8% The Nectar...
Just above 43% on a cask strength under 30yo tells the story of a less than tight cask. That doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. It has a very pungent and strong nose, beef tartar, garlic, herbs and green olives. The taste is very salty and dry, green peas, lemon skin and smoked haddock. With addition of some water it becomes a bit more sweet, like gorgonzola cheese and parma ham. This one tells many stories, and I like the diversity it offers.
A fine Glen Elgin, I wish I could try it bottled earlier: 6.5
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