A long while ago, G-LO received some boozemail. While he works the corners of the whisky world like ... well, like someone working a street corner, he is able to score samples from time to time. Fortunately, he shares his samples and passed along this bottle from Single Cask Nation. Unfortunately, I am such a procrastinator that I gladly accepted the bottle and then failed to deliver on the promised review. I hope to rectify that situation now.
As referenced in the title, this is the Glen Moray #797. The label indicates that this is 1st file ex-Bourbon cask that was distilled in June of 200 and bottled in August of 2012. This 12 yr. old whiskey is at cask strength and comes in at a very pleasing 56.1% ABV. Glen Moray is a Speyside distillery located on the banks of the River Lossie. It was a part of the Aberlour family for over 20 years and then it was acquired by Glenmorangie during the 1920s. Glenmorangie continued to own and operate the distillery until it was sold to La Martiniquaise in 2008. La Martiniquaise is a French conglomerate that has a wide ranging portfolio of whiskies, aperitifs, digestifs and modern spirits. It is the second largest spirits group in France and falls within the top 10 in the world.
And, now for the review...
- ABV: 56.1%
- Appearance: A golden honey with good legs.
- Aroma: Astringent followed by some floral sweetness and vanilla cream.
- Taste: A bit oily and a little salty. There is a good bit of sweetness upfront but the alcohol vapors overpower almost right away. Then, a good bit of peppery spice followed by the sugary sweetness of a vanilla caramel with cream filling and a little more heat. The finish is quite mild and there is a lingering but diminishing heat. With a few drops of water, this really opens up. While still spicy, there is far more complexity and flavor with the vanilla remaining prominent but a buttery toffee note comes through, too.
The Verdict
This was quite a bit different from what I had expected. I thought it would follow the "typical" Speyside profile: a bit complex, full bodied but on the sweeter side. So, while I was expecting the quality and the craftsmanship as well as the big vanilla notes, I wasn't expecting so much spice and heat. This was a very interesting whisky
Categories: Booze Review, Single Cask Nation
Tagged as: Booze Review, Drinkwire, Glen Moray, Review, Reviews, scotch whisky, Single Cask Nation, Single Malt Scotch, The Jewish Whisky Company, Whiskey, Whisky
