GLEN GARIOCH
Cask #DL18363; distilled February 2014; bottled August 2025MASH BILL – 100% malted barley
PROOF – 117.2
AGE – 11 years 6 months
DISTILLERY – Glen Garioch (bottled by Douglas Laing)
PRICE – $61 (on sale from $81)
WORTH BUYING? – Yes
I bought this on a whim. It had gone on sale, and for $56 before tax I thought it made a worthy gamble. I’d never had anything from Glen Garioch before, and Douglas Laing’s “Old Particular” line has always been a great ambassador for new-to-me scotch experiences.
I have no memories of seeing Glen Garioch pop up on my whisky social meds, though I must assume it has from time to time. It’s these under-social-mediated distilleries that tend to eventually go on sale whenever my local shop, K&L, procures their single casks through Douglas Laing or other secondary bottlers. And when an under-sold bottling turns out to be exceptional, the often comical disparities between popularity, quality, and price are neatly demonstrated.
How does this Glen Garioch outing fare in that regard?
Here we are, five days after uncorking and two pours into the bottle. These brief notes were taken using a traditional Glencairn.
COLOR – buttery yellows with honey and cream highlights
NOSE – lemon, butter, cream, vanilla-caramel, malt, oak tannin, freshly broken bread loaves, sea salt
TASTE – the bitter oak tannins and sea salt lean forward a bit to outline the softer butter, cream, and candy notes; a subtle baked papaya note emerges
FINISH – that subtle baked papaya lingers amidst the tannic oak and salt, the butter and cream, and now more of a prickle from the ABV
OVERALL – an edgy yet very approachable Highland single malt
I like this. The edginess of the tannins and salt are persistent. But for me they don’t ever overwhelm the whole. The substantial ABV adds to the edginess on the finish in particular. I could imagine these aspects being displeasing to some drinkers. But for me the dance between the edgy and soft elements is interesting, the balance shifting from sip to sip.
Adding a dollop of water, the nose now reads creamier without losing that tannic, malty outline. The taste follows the nose, creamier now with the bitter elements shimmering around the edges amidst the warmth of the ABV, but the flavors now a tad flat. The finish remains very like my initial take, emphasizing the bitter aspects over the softer notes.
And so regarding the popularity-quality-price question, I’m very pleased with this, all things considered. It’s not an amazing whisky. It’s good. The quality is there. The sale price I paid is perfect for the combination of specs and experience on offer. I’d say the potential popularity is indeed a question. At the original $75 ask (before tax) I may have been a bit less forgiving of the bitter elements at work. But all in all there is much to appreciate here.
I’ll continue to enjoy this neat, likely without water added and so also not the first pour of a night. And I’ll put it to use in cocktails like a Penicillin or Rob Roy, where I might bump up the sweet ingredients a touch to offset the edginess of the whisky. In short, a nice intro to Glen Garioch.
Sláinte!
The Right Spirit 