Glen Garioch 21 Year Old 1990 Archives

With only 5 Glen Garioch under my belt (including two rather special ones: the 1971 by Samaroli that is still in my personal top ten, and the 46 Year Old from 1958 that I tasted during my trip to Scotland in 2011), I can hardly claim being knowledgeable about Glen Garioch. For me, this Highlander is hit & miss. I wonder what this one will mean to me.

The nose is dusty with a lot of hay, apples and quite a bit of caramel, like in those Werther’s Original candies. Vanilla cookies. Somewhat greasy. Absolutley devoid of fruit. Reminds me of smelling a handful of malted barley during a presentation. So, very grainy. Tea of which the bag was not left long enough in the glass and then sat on the kitchen counter for two hours. Weak tea, so to speak. Not really up my alley, I must say, although that does not mean a thing, of course.

On the palate, it kind of reminds me of the old Glen Garioch with quite a bit of spices and even some peat, which I had not found on the nose. Again, greasy and dusty, but also very sharp, almost astringent. A lot of honey, but also quite a few bitter elements. The grain remains in the lead, though.

On the long finish, this whisky seems a lot older than it really is, due to that dusty side.

This Glen Garioch is not really my cup of tea. So my experience with Glen Garioch is nicely balanced: three hits and three misses. Costs around 70 EUR.

Find where to buy Glen Garioch whisky