Glen Garioch you tasty little devil, you’ve gone and picked yourself up a Samaroli badge and with that has come some flavor and aroma increases over the Exclusive Casks bottling I tried earlier this year. Which is quite the feat because the Exclusive Casks Glen Garioch 23 was my second favorite of the Total Wine and More 2014 Casks we tasted that night.
Though they are from roughly the same time period (the TW&M EC was a 1989 vintage) they definitely don’t taste the same. Where the TW&M cask was fruity and light this one has more of a dessert profile across the whole thing. Both are excellent 23 year old Glen Gariochs, but I’ll have to give this, the Samaroli Glen Garioch 1990, the nod for the win.
Samaroli Glen Garioch 1990 Review
Cask: 5874
Bottles: 330
ABV: 45%
Age: 23 years
Price: $240
Distiller: Glen Garioch
Bottler: Samaroli
EYE
Light honey
NOSE
Vanilla, malt and butter cream mix and mingle with a complex orchard fruit that has a similar apricot note as the EC bottling, but it’s accompanied by notes of apple, pear and peach. Some honey drizzles in over a background of complex dark dessert notes like caramel, toffee and butterscotch.
TASTE
Vanilla and malt kick things off again, but on the palate the honey has moved up a bit and brought with it those complex dark dessert notes. Brown sugar, toffee, brittle, caramel and brûlée create a nice playground for some light notes of toasted nuts, toasted grains and fruit to play on.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
A well balanced single malt with a full body and a velvety texture. It does run a bit hotter than I remember the EC being, and hotter than any of the other Samaroli’s, but completely manageable.
FINISH
Vanilla, malt, graham and an ashy bit of wood roll out long and slow.
OVERALL
The Samaroli Glen Garioch 1990 is awesome. The dark dessert notes that permeate the entire dram are rich and lovely. The light fruit notes add a great dimension and the whole thing ends on a nice slow finish. Other than running a bit hot for a 90 proof whisky there’s nothing not to like about it. This one is fantastic from start to finish.
SCORE: 90-94/100
