onsdag 25. mai 2011

8 Glen Gariochs tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011

Glen Garioch 18yo 1990-2008 54.5% Aceo for NMWL cask#2695

Once I visited the Glen Garioch Distillery in Oldmeldrum, and I remember since we were only two on the tour we got to taste a two 19 year old cask strengths that were absolutely amazing, needless to say I invested in a bottle of one of them. Will this one year younger be of same character? Smells fresh and oaky, along with some peppery slightly peaty notes. I know Glen Garioch used to peat their malt a while back, could this be one of those? The taste is sweet and peaty, rice vinegar, honey, custard, vanilla, peppery, orio biscuits. A dirty whisky!

Not my favourite expression by Glen Garioch, but it got something to it: 5.5


Glen Garioch 8yo 43% OB

An older OB I think, or is it the 10yo that's been discontinued? I believe it was the 10yo, so this one should be readily available for you all. Glen Garioch is one that I have a hard time defining as having a certain style, I find it often a "middle of the road/in between"-whisky. Light golden colour, smells light, wheat, light oakiness, silky smooth. The taste is fresh, light, honey, linseeds, polystyrene and potato starch. A fine malt that talks even though it's at times a bit quiet.

Light, pleasant malt: 6.5


Glen Garioch NAS 40% OB

The round green miniature with Glen Garioch which rooms 5.6cl. I know that older vintages of Glen Garioch usually are excellent, but the young ones, NAS, 8, 10 and so on often just barely tickles my palate. Smells malt and light, nuts and crackers, bisquity. The taste is burnt, herbal, oregano, light at first. Then turns a bit drying, floral, sweet, a bit minty, very expressive for a NAS 40% Highlander. Water makes it rounder and lighter, but still very tasty. A nice surprise.

A light and fresh old style malt: 6.5


Glen Garioch 19yo 1989-2008 54.8% Alambic Classique 60btl.

Another very pale whisky, with only 60 bottles outcome it could come from a quarter cask since it's a single cask. Glen Garioch is as well as Auchentoshan a malt that I'm yet to find out where stands. Smells nutty and woody, a bit spirity and burnt. Needs some time to open up. The taste is very sweet, some acidic sweetness, lime and grapefruit with minty sweetness, a fresh but very unusual mixture of flavours. With water. It becomes very sweet and burnt, I'm starting to wonder if this comes from some sort of dried sherry cask, or bitter white? Some strange apple-notes in the finish, burnt garbage, what a weird finish!

I'm still not sure what category to put Glen Garioch in: 4.5


Glen Garioch 10yo 43% OB (Export for France)

This one is 3% higher abv than the normal 10yo, at least than the last 10yo OB I've tried. It has a quite extreme amount of cask sediment, shake the bottle and it's snowing inside... It has a very strong od powerful smell, like strong ale, brandy or port wine. The first taste is quite dry, and very oaky, maybe it's because of all the cask sediments? This needs water straight away. the water softens a bit and it becomes nice and sweet, a bit like caramelized rum, buttercream, sends my thoughts to bakery delights. The aftertaste is dry and grassy.

A fine young malt, with water that is: 5


Glen Garioch 21yo 43% OB

The last in todays race of the 20 somethings. This one has a nice red rosè-like colour, and smells of phenols, smoke and cough-medicin. It does taste like it's mainly sherry-matured. It brings a lot of burnt rubber on the palate, and is quite a disappointment. The aftertaste is burnt, not good at all. I must say I expected far more from this whisky, or at least some complexity in terms of flavours.

It's pretty ruined, unfortunately: 3


Glen Garioch 16yo 1988-2005 54.6% Duncan Taylor

Duncan Taylor doesn't usually bottle at this early(!) age, let's see.. Exciting odors, reminds me of radish and hints of onions. The taste is very complex, lot's of burnt rubber, juniper on a fire, a strong and dominant taste of dark chocolate and toffifee. It's pretty bold, but a nice and smooth finish with throat pastilles and astute.

If you like it simple, don't go down this road: 6.5


Glen Garioch 10yo 40% OB

Glen Garioch is one that I'm not too familiar with. Odor of leather, chalkdust, dried herbs and nylon. The taste is fresh and sour, sugarfree lemondrops, parsley and cotton. Very enticing both in the smell and flavour. But unfortunately the finish is missing, and water doesn't help but only ruins the initial flavours.

A good book that misses it's final chapter: 6

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