The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Randall H. Borkus
Rating: B+
The Glenturret Three Wood Single Malt
(Credit: Randall H. Borkus)
The Glenturret Distillery is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. Located near Crieff in Perthshire, it lays claims to be the oldest working distillery dating back to 1775. Like many Scots distilleries, going back that far means pointing to some smugglers or Scottish moonshiners, so the “oldest distillery” debate will continue, I am sure.
Historically, The Glenturret was a substantial producer of whisky for blended Scotch brands (example: Famous Grouse, which it is no longer connected to). But more recently and importantly, it has gained recognition for its single malt Scotch whiskies. The distillery is known for its traditional production methods, including the use of a pair of copper pot stills and 8 traditional Douglas Fir washbacks with a fermentation time of up to 120 hours. One of the notable aspects of Glenturret whisky is the source of its water. The distillery draws water from the nearby Loch Turret, which is known for its renowned water purity.
The Glenturret offers various expressions, including core range releases and limited editions. Their whiskies often exhibit a balance of fruity, malty, and sometimes lightly peated flavors which are classic Highland traits. The distillery also experiments with different cask finishes, such as port or sherry casks, to add serious complexity to their whisky.
A completely new core range of whisky expressions were introduced in September of 2020, and the core range now consists of seven expressions, all with different ABV’s, Triple wood (45%), 10 year old peat smoked (50%), 12 year old, (46%), 15 year old (55%), 25 year old (44.5%), and 30 year old (45.7%). Here I am enjoying The Glenturret Triple Wood (2022 Release).
The Scotch
Its color is a bourbon like medium dark amber. The nose holds a distinct hint of a sweet over-ripe plum, baked blueberry sugars and a slice of vanilla-oak. The American oak barrel influence dominates here. The front and mid palate are soft, inviting and full of stewed apricots and peaches, honey overtones with hints of dried pears clinging to my tongue. The finish is equally soft and warm with quantities of oaked-honey, vanilla, and a touch of a malty citrusy custard tart wrapped in a thin oak layer. I enjoy this whisky.
It is quite complex on the nose, front and mid palates, The finish is enjoyable complex yet somehow falls short and disappears on me. I will confess, I did go back and buy a second bottle as I like it overall!
The Price
It was available at the time of writing for $69 – $79 in the Chicago area, for an American-style 750ml bottle.
