Thanks to /u/scotchguyto for pouring me this sample.
Still at a tasting. And still getting chirped for “all” of the distilleries I haven’t had. So of course, I just had a Glentauchers and finally reviewed it. I’m safe, right?
“Hey, how about the fact you’ve never reviewed a Glen Ord?”
Shock and dismay befell the room. In the distance, a child cries out. Somewhere a cow miscarries. Our host, disgusted, went and found a sample in order to make up for my faux pas. He didn’t need to, but somehow he did.
Glen Ord is the remaining distillery on the Black Isle. This frankly feels like I’m starting a chapter of The Witcher, and the fates will someday bring forth the chosen one from one of the stills.
Glen Ord typically goes into Diageo “Singleton of” OBs and Johnnie Walkers blends. But our host goes a step further and hands me a sample of Glen Ord 12 1998 James MacArthur Fine Malt Selection. I drunkenly forget to take a picture and dive in.
Let’s see how this tastes, shall we?
Price: Sold out
Region: Speyside
Vintage: 1998
Bottled: 2011
Cask Type: Ex-Bourbon
Cask Number: 27
Abv: 45%
Colour: 7.5Y 9/4
Nose: Lemon/lime candy, butter, manure
Sweet citrus candy, some butter notes, and manure. Pretty forward and to the point. Ex-bourbon is adding sweetness, and I can only assume that it’s citrus-y. Farminess is interesting here.
Taste: Lemon, mineral, grass, BBQ sauce
Thicc mouthfeel. Really thick. Like that’s the main note I had for the first part. And not just because I’m shit either because it’s really thick.
Good grass, some smoke/molasses going on. Otherwise, the flavour is pretty simple.
Finish: Lemon, grass, tobacco (toasty/herbal), sugar syrup/herbal
More of the same at the end. Some of the tobacco notes continue into a herbal/sugar aspect.
Again, nothing is really complex, but I don’t mind sipping on it. The tobacco can go eat a bag of dicks but that’s my thoughts, you may like it.
Conclusion: A thicc oily dram that’s better only because of the mouthfeel. Honestly, the rest would be a simple whisky you’d drink daily and not think too much about. Like lemon? Herbal? Some toast/smoke? Cool, drink it back.
But that mouthfeel was really special. Oily as heck. And really there wasn’t anything too rough. I’d have it again, but I really should try more Glen Ords to see what they have to offer.
75/100
Scotch review #1174, Speyside review #332, Whisky Network review #1811
tomoderawhisky.ca 