At present we’re having three cask experiments from Glen Moray distillery. All three had been launched as a UK unique. This Speyside distillery has been making an attempt out a collection of adventurous cask varieties prior to now, together with a Cider cask that was later banned by the SWA. I’ve additionally reviewed the Rhum Agricole Cask bottling as an illustration.
First up is the Glen Moray Tokaji End, the second bottling within the Warehouse 1 collection following the Sauternes model from 2020. After an preliminary ageing in ex-bourbon casks, it was given a end in candy Hungarian Tokaji Aszú (5 casks in whole) earlier than being bottled at cask energy. The second evaluation will take a look at the Madeira Cask Venture, matured totally in Madeira hogsheads for 13 years and 10 months, whereas these casks are sometimes used for ending. Final however not least now we have the Glen Moray 2008 Manzanilla End. The ending size isn’t disclosed on this case.
Do you know Manzanilla is technically not a sherry wine? It shares an entire record of similarities after all, however since it’s unique to the close by city Sanlúcar de Barrameda (as a substitute of Jerez) and managed by its personal denomination of origin, it’s strictly a separate wine area. Some winemakers in Sanlúcar are really offended once you say Manzanilla is a sherry wine.
Glen Moray ‘Tokaji End’ 15 yo 2005 (53,9%, OB ‘Warehouse 1’ 2021, UK unique, 1244 btl.)
Nostril: a luxurious, very candied profile (albeit a little bit artificial) on marzipan, peaches on syrup, candyfloss and honey. Candied ginger, vanilla sponge and a faint floral observe. Cardamom. Gingerbread. It’s simple to acknowledge the candy wine, but it surely’s additionally simple to acknowledge the agency American oak within the background.
Mouth: candy once more, however total a little bit greener than I anticipated (unripe pineapple). A lot of malty notes, recent oak shavings, with dose of ginger and white pepper. Almond notes and honey. Shortbread. Lemon zest as properly. The wine sort can be more durable to guess now.
End: medium size, with nutty notes and ginger cake.
The anticipated candyshop aromas are current, leading to a pleasant nostril however a barely much less convincing palate. In comparison with one thing like A Story of Cake, this falls brief and feels a little bit, properly… experimental.
Glen Moray ‘Madeira Cask Venture’ 13 yo 2006 (46,3%, OB 2020, UK unique, 1468 btl.)
Nostril: once more a barely artificial banana aroma at first, combined with a touch of glue even. Cellulose. Candy, poached pears and toffee, in addition to some honey and sawdust. Biscuity notes and a touch of candied ginger. A few leafy notes as properly, like inexperienced tobacco. The jury’s nonetheless out.
Mouth: candy once more, with a syrupy texture but additionally a spirity edge. Extra inexperienced bananas, loads of honey coated cereals and muesli. Baked apple. Mid-palate some recent oak comes out, with nutmeg and all-spice. Ginger cake. A touch of bitter cocoa and hickory too.
End: lengthy however not totally nice, leaving a number of room for the ginger and nutmeg to overpower the fruity aspect.
I have a tendency to love Madeira finishes, and I anticipated a supercharged model because of the full maturation, but it doesn’t actually correspond to what I’m anticipating from Madeira casks. A barely harsh whisky with a agency woody footprint. Rating: 81/100
It’s humorous how each whiskies share so many tasting notes, whereas the wine varieties and maturation durations are so totally different…
Glen Moray ‘Manzanilla End’ 2008 (54,6%, OB ‘Warehouse 1’ 2021, UK unique, 1240 btl.)
Nostril: there’s a number of dried grass, straw and wooden mud, in addition to a humorous candy aspect. Humorous since Manzanilla is so dry. Additionally chamomile tea (after all), grain biscuits and dried apple peelings. Hints of vanilla and an underlying savoury layer. Candy seaweed maybe?
Mouth: begins with the unripe fruits of the opposite two (pears, unripe peach), resulting in orange peels and agency cereal notes. Then it turns into inexperienced, natural and albeit bitter. Suppose dried rosemary, inexperienced tea, ginger and a touch of chalky dryness. A transparent salty edge too.
End: good size however actually grassy and natural, with bitterness and spicy notes.
The dryness, saltiness and natural character of the Manzanilla actually comes out. That’s not at all times the case with Manzanilla casks, so properly finished. Actually instructional whisky, although maybe too harsh to down an entire bottle. This one continues to be out there from The Whisky Alternate or Tyndrumwhisky as an illustration. Rating: 85/100
