Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: SC001 - Going the Whole Hogshead - Spink in association with Cask 88: Whisky - e-Auction
Lot: 4

Glen Garioch 2012

Distillery: Glen Garioch
Region: Highlands
Age: 9 years
Distillation Date: 11th July 2012
Cask type: Refill Bourbon Barrel
Peated?: Unpeated
Re-gauge ABV: 61.30%
Re-gauge Litre of Alcohol (RLA): 80.3 litres
New bulk litres: 131.0 litres
Re-gauge Date: 18th November 2021
Bottles: 187 bottles
Cask Number: 2943

Cask Description

The Wood

Beam Suntory took ownership of Glen Garioch in 1994; since then, the distillery has had access to the highest quality bourbon casks on the market. Beam Suntory's portfolio includes the likes of Maker's Mark and Jim Beam, though it seems Beam Suntory looked outside their portfolio of brands to source this particular barrel, which previously held Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey distilled and bottled by the Wild Turkey Distilling Co.

The Spirit

All of the stills at Glen Garioch are a squat onion shape and have unusually long Lyne-arms - both of which are associated with a thicker, chewy spirit. These factors, combined with a relatively short fermentation time of 50 hours, result in the new make spirit of Glen Garioch being viscous, slightly sweet and cereal like.

"If you enjoy wholesome malty flavours, then the Highland single malt Glen Garioch should satisfy your tastebuds."
Dr Rachel Barrie, Glen Garioch Master Blender (2013)

The spirit of this distillery has changed a few times over the last 200 plus years. Up until the 1990s, peated spirit was produced here; the move towards unpeated has resulted in the older peated releases becoming extremely desirable. A further change is imminent for the distillery as they are shortly going to change from the stills being steam-heated to directly fired, meaning the spirit in this cask is soon to never be produced again.

The Masters

Dr Rachel Barrie is truly a pioneer of the whisky industry with a career spanning over 20 years and an extremely diverse portfolio. Managing the bold flavours of Islay with the likes of Laphroaig, and softer spirit such as Glen Garioch, is an incredible balancing act.

"On a single day I could be nosing casks for Bowmore 12 year old, conducting a tasting, interpreting analysis on malt peating levels, creating a new Auchentoshan whisky, writing tasting notes, speaking to whisky aficionados about Glen Garioch."
Dr Rachel Barrie, Glen Garioch Master Blender (2013)

The Verdict

Glen Garioch casks are not something that is seen very often; even the likes of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society have struggled to get their hands on spirit and casks from the distillery, making this an excellent opportunity to purchase something desirable and small batch. In addition to this, the imminent change in the spirit production means that there will be a finite amount of spirit produced in this way and, if history is to repeat itself, the liquid from this time is likely to be highly sought after in the future.

Glen Garioch 2012
Date Sample Taken: 17/11/2021

Nose:
At first, quite dry and grassy like autumnal hay, and then like a scented pot pourri. Then woodiness takes a back seat and it becomes sweeter, like a sauternes or a sherbet lemon. Lingering aroma of white chocolate, honeycomb brittle and apricots.

Palate:
Sweet and initially tart, like a tangerine orange. Frangipane and pear tart, drizzled with extra honey. Pumpkin pie, but hold the nutmeg. Looking for extra spiciness or oakiness, but this dram offers a long-lasting sweetness in their place.

Estimate