Malt Mission 2010 #388

Glen Garioch 12yo
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
48% abv
$60 (USD)

Earlier this year, Glen Garioch began appearing in press releases, on blogs and in whisky magazines with new and improved look and reformulated recipe.

Glen Garioch and its siblings in the lowlands and Islay, Auchentoshan and Bowmore respectively, are owned by Morrison-Bowmore(Suntory).

In the first edition (1989) of Michael Jackson's Malt Whisky Companion, he called Glen Garioch "the assertive peat-smoky style of highland malt that has become all too rare." Even truer today, especially as the cited distillery would be hard pressed to call it self peaty in style.

It is hard to argue that the new Nevis-designed packaging isn't a significant upgrade from the Highland kitsch of its predecessor.

For more distillery info or to see all Glen Garioch had on the mission, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Butter, brown sugar, ripe canteloupe, with integrated levels of spices, speaking softly.

Sweet and fruity, burnt sugar on a baked pear, balanced with oak. Water enhances a malty sweetness and elevates the oak above the fruitiness.

SUMMARY:

Clean, pleasant whisky that, without being tasted in context of its peers, doesn't really leave a distinct impression. Not that is needs to be a peaty prick or a sherried she-male to stand out. The non-chill filtration and higher abv certainly set it apart from its peers. And at whisky fairs and shows, I have seen folks raving about it. So, as I am becoming more and more convinced of every day, in tasting and evaluating any whisky it is about the context, the experience, at least as much as the content.

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Malt Mission 2010 #386

Glen Garioch Founders Reserve
Highland Single Malt Whisky
48% abv
£29
$45 (USD)

One of the last operating distilleries from the 18th century (and the first time featured on the Malt Mission), Glen Garioch (pronounced "Glen Geery") underwent a much needed repack and as cynical as the whisky intelligentsia can be about s-s-scrary m-m-marketing, I think the verdict was unanimous: gorgeous work. But it is not just the look of the pack that changed, the liquid moved in the direction of nurturing anorak appeal:

a) the alcohol by volume was upped to 48% because
b) the liquid is not chill-filtered.

And the geeks rejoiced.

TASTING NOTES:

Buttery pie crust, sourdough, Granny Smith apples, vanilla and pine.

Savoury and bright sweetness of shortbread, lemon, and white grapes. Apricots and macadamie nut oiliness. Late spicy woodiness, pine again, freshly cut saplings.

SUMMARY:

Light, fresh and appetizing with a good balance of bitter and sweet, wood influence and youthful spirit character. There are many examples of how delicious Glen Garioch can be at great ages, it is nice to have a proprietary bottling that shows its youthful charm as well, even if said charms won't woo everyone.

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Malt Mission 2008 #253

McClelland's Highland
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£14
$31.85(CAD)
$20(USD)

Goodbye Castro, Goodbye Musharraf. The world is changing but the Doctor keeps on sipping... Winners of 2007 Drammies to be announced today.

Today we'll have another whisky in the regional series from McClellands. All expressions can (eventually) be seen HERE. This one is the representative of the Highland region, including islands of Orkney, Mull, Skye, Arran, Jura but NOT Islay, which is classed as a region unto itself both by McClellands labels and by the Scotch Whisky Association.

As these releases are called SINGLE MALT whiskies, they are not vatted or blended or mixed, they are each products of just one Lowland, Speyside, Highland, and Islay distillery. So what are the distilleries in McClelland's malts? As Morrison Bowmore (Suntory) owns distilleries in three of these regions, it is a safe guess that the Lowland is Auchentoshan, the Islay Bowmore, the Highland Glen Garioch, and the Speyside ... ? Will hazard a guess when I taste it tomorrow.

TASTING NOTES:

A gentle spice leads with some savory notes and opens up into creme brullée, fruit yogurt, and vanilla.

Soft initially, but firms up mid-palate with cardboard and dairy sweetness, some ginger, paprika, cucumber skin and parsley. Quite a long aftertaste with some more papery notes and tea biscuits, and halva.

SUMMARY:

Nice, easy to drink, with just a slight edge. Simple, even plain, but wholly enjoyable with good highland characteristics of spice and body.

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