Glen Garioch 2010/2023 (Malts of Scotland)

In my experience, Malts of Scotland can be hit or miss. Or more to the point, their younger sherry cask matured whiskies. Therefore, today’s dark Glen Garioch 2010, bottled in 2023 from a sherry hogshead, is risky.

But why, you might wonder? I suppose it’s to do with the German appetite for heavily-sherried whisky. I should not generalise, but to quote George Clooney in Up In The Air: “I stereotype. It’s faster.” The German market seems to go gaga over darkly coloured whiskies. Loch Dhu probably isn’t dark enough. (I’m exaggerating to make my point.)

Sulphur isn’t always an issue. As in, not that Germans adeptly avoid picking sulphured casks. On the contrary. It sometimes seems to be viewed more as an asset than anything else. In short, it makes me hesitant to buy intensely sherried whiskies bottled originally for the German market OR by German bottlers.

To be fair, I didn’t buy an entire bottle of this Glen Garioch. Just a sample. So the risk is limited. And I generally enjoy Glen Garioch. That helps too.

Glen Garioch 2010/2023 (54.9%, Malts of Scotland, C#MoS 23005)

Nose: Thick, dense, oaky sherry notes. Plenty of tobacco, some plums, a few figs, and cedar wood too. Also lots (LOTS) of raisins, maybe a drop of cough syrup and cacao powder. I’m trying to find more, but it’s not the most complex.
Taste: This is where the oak really becomes dominant. Tannic, dry. Cloves, nutmeg, cardamom. Strong notes of tobacco. There’s really not much (dried) fruit, which would’ve elevated this Glen Garioch.
Finish: Medium length. Lingering spices with some plums and raisins appearing near the end.

Photo: Dein Whisky