The Glen Garioch 23 was my second favorite from the SoCal Whiskey Club / Total Wine and More Exclusive Cask tasting and it came really close to beating out the Bruichladdich 22. The soft grainy under tones and hints of peat paired with the fruit and sherry sweetness create a stellar balance that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Glen Garioch distillery fired up it’s stills in 1797 and is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. Owned by Suntory the Glen Garioch leads it’s releases with it’s signature 1797 Founders Reserve and will, from time to time, release small batches of whisky when they deem it’s ready. The first of which will be the Glen Garioch 1990 Vintage and the 1978 vintage. The juice in this bottle is of a 1989 vintage.
Overall this stuff is just great. It was hard to pick between the Bruichladdich and this for determining my favorite of the night and it lost by only the narrowest of margins. It’s a truly spectacular whisky that hits all of the right notes and punctuates the sweetness with solid jabs of smoke, malt and wood. Absolutely delicious and a dram I could nose for hours, sip everyday and never be bored with.
If you’ve tried the Glen Garioch 23 (or any Glen Garioch) I’d love to read your thoughts below.
Glen Garioch 23 Review
ABV: 54.1%
Price: $130 (Total Wine and More)
Distiller: Glen Garioch
EYE
Light caramel
NOSE
Sherry climbs out the glass first and creates footholds for malt and apricot to follow closely behind. Climbing out shortly after are notes of wood, ash, and a touch of smoke that helps to keep the nose grounded.
TASTE
On the palate things shake up a bit and the malt comes forward with the sherry pacing along behind it. Some mushy orchard fruit , caramel and smoke trundle along behind the malt and sherry. There is a hint of wood, but not nearly as much I would have expected from a whisky this old.
FEEL
Luxurious and velvety it has a regal quality to it.
FINISH
Sugar, malt and apricot come to life in this long smoky finish. There is just a hint of wood, but it’s nothing more than that.
SCORE: NA – I tried this one at a SoCal Whiskey Club tasting but wasn’t able to spend enough time with it to give it a score, but it ranked #2 / 8 for the night.
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