Glen Elgin 1998/2014 (Gordon & MacPhail)

Glen Elgin never really made it to the big leagues. At the start of this millennium, it was part of a short-lived Diageo initiative called Hidden Malts, but most of its production goes into the big-selling blend White Horse. However, some of the Glen Elgin spirit finds its way to independent bottlers, resulting in bottlings like this Glen Elgin 1998/2014 from Gordon & MacPhail. This Glen Elgin is a vatting of refill sherry butts, which is promising!

Glen Elgin 1998/2014 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail)

Nose: There’s a faint smoke with a burned edge. A touch of sulphur, maybe. Notes of cappuccino and dark chocolate, but also vanilla, apricots and orange juice.
Taste: Ah, yes, definitely sulphur. The gunpowder kind. A bit distracting. Slightly dry, with nots of bitter orange and ginger. A hint of chocolate.
Finish: Drying with oranges. Medium in length.

Rating: 78

The sulphur is quite distracting and subtracts from the overall experience. That’s a shame.

Sample provided by Gordon & MacPhail