Skip to content
  • Home
  • Whisky Top 10
  • Tasting Notes
  • About Thijs
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Whisky Top 10
  • Tasting Notes
  • About Thijs
  • Contact
logo
glen elgin 1997 20 years gordon macphail connoisseurs choice

Glen Elgin 1997 20 Years Old (Gordon & MacPhail)

18 May 2018 0 comments Article Glen Elgin, Scotland, Speyside, Tasting Notes

So far this week I’ve tried a wine finished Caol Ila and a naked Glen Spey, both from the new Connoisseurs Choice range from Gordon & MacPhail. Now it is time for a cask strength version, more specifically a Glen Elgin 1997 20 Years Old from a first-fill sherry butt.

Glen Elgin is revered by blenders, and certainly most of its production end up in a variety of blended whiskies from Diageo. Those casks that do end up being bottled as single malt, tend to be quite excellent. I don’t doubt that if Diageo wanted, it could easily promote Glen Elgin as a single malt. With long fermentation times and the use of worm tubs, its spirit is simply that good.

Glen Elgin 1997 20 Years Old (55,7%, Gordon & MacPhail, C#18/003)

Nose: Sweet orange liqueur with a whisper of paint thinner (in a good way), before moving on to raisins, cherry syrup and blackcurrants. A good amount of cocoa powder and oak, with hints coffee and burnt caramel. This is delicious!
Taste: It’s that same mix of dark fruits, European oak and and roasted coffee. Really, it perfectly complements the nose, as there is a touch of menthol here too.
Finish: Lingering spices and chocolate.

Rating: 90

Maybe it should’ve been a tad more polished, but I simply like this Glen Elgin too much for it not to reach the 90 point barrier. Like a richer version of this official bottling from a while ago. I might need to get myself a bottle. Man, that wish list is getting out of hand.

Sample provided by Gordon & MacPhail

Thijs Klaverstijn Kingairloch 3
Thijs Klaverstijn

Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.

Tags: 1997, 20yo, connoisseurs choice, glen elgin, gordon macphail, speyside

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Tumblr

Most popular posts

  • Glendronach cask (flickr ti yab) GlenDronach Is A Lot Older Than The Label Says
  • secret orkney 1999 20yo michiel wigman Secret Orkney 1999 20 Years (Michiel Wigman)
  • ben nevis 2015 5yo adelphi whisky import nederland 10715 Ben Nevis 2015 5 Years (Adelphi)
  • glenallachie 1995 24yo the duchess 23 Glenallachie 1995 24 Years (The Duchess)
  • benromach 21yo 2020 Benromach 21 Years (2020)

Recent blog posts

  • Upcoming: Blind Tasting Competition
  • Sexism & Misogyny in our Whisky Community
  • Monologue: Waterford’s Mark Reynier on Biodynamics & Terroir
  • Why The Whiskybase Gathering Should Be On Your Bucket List
  • Visiting Ballindalloch Distillery: Tradition & Patience in Speyside

Copyright Words of Whisky 2018