Dram data:
Distillery: Glen Moray
Bottler: Official Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: ca. 2011
Age: 10 years
Limitation: –
Casks: ex-chardonnay
Alcohol: 40%
probably chill filtered due to the low ABV; unknown whether it’s coloured
Whiskybase link
Tasting notes:
Colour: red-gold
The nose opens with an undeniable influence from wine grapes. Fresh, sweet grapes and grape skins paired with pleasant grape kernel bitter notes, but also Kiwi, sweet pineapple, fructose sweetness, creamy caramel, salted butter, malt and cinnamon sticks. Well-integrated light cask spices in the background. For once I don’t mind the 40% ABV bottling strength, this is more full-on than some malts bottled at 46%. The palate is creamy with a thick texture rarely found in 40% ABV drams but ultimately not as full-flavoured as the nose with notes of malt, grape juice, grape kernel bitterness, light white wine, orange peel, Kiwi, pineapple, green mango, hay and light cask spices. The finish is short and precise, again with influence of grapes, grape juice and grape kernels, slight wood spices with notes of malt and wood appearing towards the end.
Verdict:
A fresh, fruity-sweet, lightly spicy nose meets a slightly subdued palate and a clean finish. You can definitely notice the influence from the full 10-year maturation in ex-Chardonnay casks – this is much more than a finish! A slightly quirky, fruity-fresh summery dram, to be enjoyed instead of a glass of wine in the evening – and at well under 30€ a bottle it is a welcome sight in a world where whisky is more and more bottled barely above the legal minimum age at inflated prices…
Score: 82/100
(Nose: 84 Palate: 81 Finish: 83)