Glen Elgin 13 Year Old 2000 Spirit of Scotland

Glen Elgin can be found – as the name suggest – near the city of Elgin in Speyside. Together with Mannochmore and Glenlossie, it’s an integral part of the blend White Horse. There are hardly any official releases and the core range consists of only the rather boring Glen Elgin 12 Year Old which can be purchased for less than 40 EUR. I will, however, be trying a 13 years old from 2000, selected by Van Wees in Holland, but bottled by Spirit of Scotland. FYI: this is the ‘b-label’ of Gordon & Macphail, although they have released quite a few gems under this label.

Sweet and fruity nose on apples, honey, vanilla and citrus. Very summery. Candy-like edge after a few moments. Think Haribo bears. The alcohol, despite being civilized, is pretty prominent.

The alcohol also rears its head on the palate, but that does not take away from the fact that this is very drinkable. Superbly summery on white and yellow fruit, but also a Reine Claude plum. Vanilla precedes honey. Barely any spices to speak of. The emphasis here in on sweet summer fruit. And it works like a charm on this hot summer day.

Medium long, very sweet finish on plums and honey. Some late pepper at the death.

Well, this one has a lot more character than the classic, official release for about the same price. Can still be found left and right. It is clear why Glen Elgin works so well in blends. It has got both body and a fruity character.

Find where to buy Glen Elgin whisky