Glenburgie 21 1995 Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength (Cask 6346)

Thanks to someone for this dram. I can’t exactly remember whom. I think /u/devoz.

So far I’ve only ever had Glenburgie from Independent Bottlers. Thus I have to wait and see for an original bottling. However it’s time to try a different IB again.

Gordon & MacPhail started as a South Street retail shop. They sold local produce and exotic commodities from around the world. Not much has changed, save they get really annoyed if you badger them about the state of their no-longer existent tomatoes.

In the last 120 years Gordon & MacPhail has become a specialist wholesaler that sells premium spirits, wines, craft beers, and ciders. They’ve also released multiple 70+ year scotches as well recently. Oh, and in 1998 they opened and started operating their own distillery, Benromach.

This is not about either of those. For better or for worse. For better because it’s still a nice Scotch from Gordon & MacPhail, and also I still have all my organs that I, personally, would have to sell to buy the more expensive ones.

Today we’re going to see how Gordon & MacPhail does with Glenburgie, a relatively unknown distillery in the Scotch-verse. This comes from the Cask Strength line.

So let’s see how Glenburgie 21 1995 Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength (Cask 6346) does, shall we?

Price: Discontinued

Region: Speyside

Distilled: 08/06/95

Bottled: 28/09/16

Cask Type: 1st Fill Puncheon

Cask No: 6346

Abv: 57.9%

Colour: 2.5YR 9/8

Nose: Fermented peach, burnt raspberry, cardamon, honeydew melon

Initial funk that I’m used to from Glenburgie, especially those in ex-sherry casks. Takes some time to get past it. Lots of fruit, though nothing that’s straightforward as fruit.

For instance, it has some burnt parts on the tart portion, some funk on the peach, and the tartness has some spice to it. Quite nice.

Taste: Strawberry liqueur, cloves, dates, salt

More water = More Dates. So basically what I assume the trade process with California will be in the future.

Nice amount of strawberry and alcohol. Good amount of salt on the taste as well. Nice balance, though beyond fruit and salt, this isn’t that complex, especially at 21 years old.

Finish: Date squares, oranges, funk, brine, melon

More dates, though some cereal there too. Beyond that, it doesn’t go too complex, more so going to what was on the nose with less spice.

Conclusion: An interesting dram. I enjoyed the nose on it, and the overall funk throughout, however at the end of the day is it’s full of dates. I enjoy dates. A lot. Not in a joking way. I’ll wonder into a Persian food market with absolutely no English signs and make a complete joke out of my non-Farsi speaking ass just to get good ones.

And I recommend anyone do that. Come on people, try new things!

Where was I…

Oh, yeah, it’s a ton of dates. I’ve had better Glenburgies. The nose was nice, the whole thing was unique and nice, however I wish it was more complex. Seems like it was an unreactive cask.

81/100

Scotch review #774, Speyside review #220, Whisky Network review #1275