The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Alex Southgate
Rating: B
Distillery Gem’s Blair Athol bottling
(Credit: Glen Clyde Whisky)
In the whiskey world you hear certain names and can’t help but hope for good things. This is very much the case when it comes to Glen Moray, perhaps one of the better known Speyside distilleries. We’ll be diving into one of their 15 year old offerings today and I have to say I’m rather looking forward to it.
We’re going to be tasting the Glen Moray 15 Year Old (distilled 2007) Single Malt which has been bottled by Glen Clyde Whisky. Bourbon barrel casks have been used for maturing the Distillery Gem expression that under discussion, and this malt is coming in at a rather respectable cask strength of 59%.
The Scotch
This Distillery Gem expression is a deep honey in the bottle and very easy on the pour, leaving faint legs as it hits the sides of the glass. The rich amber shade of this single malt is very appealing to the eye and I couldn’t wait to give this whiskey a taste on looks alone.
The nose starts with deep nutty tones of hazelnut and almond, backed by smooth chocolate. These savory notes give way to the dry fruity aroma of green apples. This scent carries through to the finish and is completed by rich, dark molasses.
The nutty, savory notes that greet the nose also come across in the taste and are paired with a splash of cream. These flavors carry into the unmistakable baked taste of fresh biscuits. The finish is full of savory, baked cereal notes with just a hint of leather.
I have to say this is the perfect whiskey for a cold Autumn night. Sometimes we refer to something as a hug in a glass and this is very poignant here. This is the sort of whiskey that just makes you feel happy drinking it and it packs just the right amount of punch to warm the bones without stepping into the realm of tasting overly alcoholic.
I wouldn’t say that the Glen Moray 15YR old was doing anything particularly new or special but that doesn’t alter the fact that this is a very enjoyable drink. I generally gauge my ratings on where I’d drink a whiskey and how much of a bottle I would drink in a sitting. This particular expression is right up my alley and perfect for an evening in with friends. Very enjoyable stuff all round.
The Price
Distiller Gem Glen Moray 15 Year Old is selling for around £97 per bottle for those of us here in the UK, or about €114 for our friends out in Europe.
