label: Glen Garioch

48% alc./vol.
Glen Garioch Distillery, Oldmeldrum, Highlands, Scotland

We continue in the Highlander Glen Garioch with a not-so-new flagship expression of their line-up, another Founder's Reserve.

The first expression of Glen Garioch's latest range, “1797, Founder's Reserve” pays homage to the Manson brothers, the founding fathers of the distillery. Bottled at 48% without cold filtering or coloring, this edition reveals the influence of aging in American white oak barrels. Thank you Andre.

As the British mathematician and physicist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933, put it so well, Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac (1902-1984) said so well:

For a colander, it is not a fault to have holes.

Pale gold and desert orange.

Nose:
Light wave of sweet alcohol that quickly gives way to a beautiful blend of beeswax, barley, flowers and lemon. Hint of vanilla and grass in the background.

Taste:
Its fairly neutral texture costs it a few points, but which makes up for well with an alcohol level that is not hidden at all. Malt, vanilla, honey and spices dance to excite our taste buds. Clove and nutmeg.

Finish:
Long lasting and pleasantly spicy, it retains the best aspects of this expression.

Balance:
For an entry-level No-Age Statement, I must admit that it will not leave anyone indifferent.

Note: ★★★★★

56.7% alc./vol.
Glen Garioch Distillery, Oldmeldrum, Highlands, Scotland

We take a visit to the Highlands to have a nice little Cask Strength today, a good old man Glen Garioch 1997.

Originally designed exclusively for sale in duty free shops, this version of Glen Garioch is the 12th batch of that year, and bottled in 2012 gives it a nice little statement of age of 15 years. Aging in ex-bourbon casks first filling.

As the famous Polish proverb said so well:

Snow cannot be demanded more than water.

Pale sauvignon almost rosé.

Nose:
Relatively unusual nose, on frank notes of barley, caramel and tropical fruits. Beautiful secondary aromas of apple, vanilla and peach join the party.

Taste:
Barley sugar, spices and fruit salad are delivered to us fairly quickly in the mouth. The alcohol is quite violent here, although the previous flavors help to get it through.

Finish:
Oak, chocolate and barley. Cask strength spices and honey stay strong for a long time.

Balance:
Unusual and intriguing, despite everything being put together a little awkwardly. Better to head for the 1994 and 1995 vintages.

Note: ★★★★★