
October 2, 2024

A few Glen Elgin, somewhat at random

For us, Glen Elgin is White Horse, just like Lagavulin, and White Horse was one of the top blends. And then there were some superb Glen Elgins, and I have no doubt we'll come across some today. We're going in randomly this time – so we’ll definitely stumble upon the obligatory wine casks. Alea jacta Est, the die is cast.

Glen Elgin 12 yo 2011/2023 (55.5%, Tri Carragh, reracked in a first fill tawny Port barrique, 292 bottles)

It was ‘reracked’ in 2022, so this was clearly a finishing job. Colour: straw, with a delicate hint of rosé (reminiscent of white pinot noir). Nose: the Port influence is unmistakable, with notes of blackcurrant, cherries, and raspberries, but it’s balanced out nicely by touches of liquorice and mustard, which keep things in check. It’s really rather pleasant. With water: more about the barley malt now, along with hints of fresh mint leaves, crushed between your fingers. Mouth (neat): quite lovely, really. You’d think this was a fine malt with great texture and strength, given a splash of cherry and redcurrant juice. More about the fruit than the wine, which is no bad thing when it comes to cherries and redcurrants. With water: even more cherries. Finish: long, and hard not to think of Belgium’s famous kriek beer, even if that’s perhaps fallen out of fashion over the last, what, thirty years? Some fruit tree leaves in the aftertaste. Comments: nothing to add, this was well put together.
SGP:651 - 82 points.

Glen Elgin 12 yo 2012/2024 (55%, Whisky Dudes, PX quarter cask finish, cask #801174, 145 bottles)

A two-year finishing, so let’s see who dominates, the PX or the Glen Elgin. Colour: dark gold. Nose: this is rather fun. There’s pipe tobacco, damp earth, dunnage, and those cherries again (this time more like a tisane), followed by a whiff of aubergines (almost moussaka-like) and heaps of roasted nuts of all kinds, leading to what we might call ‘Nusswasser’ here. With water: you can’t help but think of famous old malts rich in paxarette, but in their younger, cask-strength forms. Mouth (neat): very rich, this time loaded with raisins. Straw wine, muscat, and yes, a very ‘dulce’ PX character. The wine is clearly in charge, though it’s certainly good PX. Malaga, perhaps? With water: same impression. Let’s be honest, we do love these wines, so if you’re going to blend them with malt, you might as well let them fully shine. Yep, Serge speaking. Finish: same story. Some sort of balance has been found, though we wouldn’t quite call it equality (what?). Comments: not mad about the concept, but I really do enjoy its execution. Indeed, we’re complicated sometimes.
SGP:741 - 85 points.

Glen Elgin 12 yo 2010/2023 (56.6%, James Eadie, refill oloroso hogshead finish, cask #361161, 273 bottles)

A thirty-month finishing. Let me remind you that at 36 months, or 3 years and a day, it’s officially a maturation. Anyway, I’d call James Eadie the Ayrton Senna of finishing—remember how they said Senna could win a race even in a diesel Mercedes estate wagon? Without a turbo or a compressor. Colour: full gold. Nose: well, there you go. Walnut cake, black nougat, pipe tobacco, old Armagnac, garden soil, liquorice, roasted pecans, and so on. Unstoppable. With water: it’s getting annoying now. Mouth (neat): incredibly good. Jaffa cakes, espresso, marmalade, Szechuan pepper, liquorice, and, I think, some Glen Elgin. And of course, nuts. With water: I get the feeling, though I could be wrong, that the oloroso used here wasn’t one of those young, boring ones the bodegas just use to season whisky casks. This tastes like Navazos, or Tradicion, or the like. Yes! Finish: long, beautifully bitter, still with nuts and coffee, plus Seville oranges. Comments: helmets off! I mean, hats off!
SGP:451 - 88 points.

Come on, another 12-year-old, but a regular hoggie this time...

Glen Elgin 12 yo 2010/2023 (53.5%, Alister Walker’s Infrequent Flyers for Whiskylovers HK & Abyss, bourbon hogshead, cask #801000, 146 bottles)

Off we go to Hong Kong. Colour: gold. Nose: it’s like a proper holiday, with these clean, elegant casks that haven’t been drenched in any oddball wines. The waxy side of Glen Elgin finally shines through, with mandarins, kumquats, beeswax, yellow flowers, oranges, and dandelions. With water: hints of paraffin and motor oil, adding an extra layer of dimension. Mouth (neat): absolutely brilliant. It kicks off with a faint gin-like juniper/soap touch, before swiftly gliding into bergamots and blood oranges. Still that oily, almost waxy texture. Lovely body. With water: oh yes, yes, yes. There’s still that faint soap/cologne note, but in this context, it’s truly a strength. Surely, there are friends who drink gin, no? There’s almost a hint of Campbeltown here. Finish: long, full-bodied, and more herbal, as is often the case. A bit of apple peel and bark lingering in the aftertaste. Comments: it’s the perfect counterpart to James Eadie’s. One might even be tempted to mix the two 50/50, but hey, we’ve got other things to do.
SGP:551 - 88 points.

Glen Elgin 11 yo 2012/2024 (59%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, hogshead, cask #807729, 502 bottles)

The series is called ‘Glens & Valleys’, which we do find rather poetic. 502 bottles at cask strength from a single hogshead? Quite poetic indeed. Colour: very pale, like white wine. Nose: this one takes us even closer to the distillate. Apples and pears waxed to perfection, barley syrup, sesame oil, and buttery croissants. With water: hints of plasticine, a bit of shoe polish, and a tiny touch of those broths we used to find in White Horse. Hurray. Mouth (neat): pure eau-de-vie made of barley, apples (Gravensteiner), plums, and pears… Not a hint of wood, you’d think it was matured in an amphora or a stone jar. It’s stunning, though naturally, it’s not quite what most expect from a “whisky”. With water: oh, eau-de-vie of sloe berries, pears, kirsch… Such brilliant freshness. Finish: long, always fresh, with a faint salty note over those old garden apples and pears, the ones that never quite reach full ripeness. Comments: it’s almost a bit provocative. We love it.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Oh yes, we forgot to mention the worm tubs...

Glen Elgin 15 yo 2007/2023 (58.9%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society for LMDW, Artist #13, #85.89, first fill oloroso sherry, ‘Wormtub Magic’, 241 bottles)

A rather long description, but I’m sure the whisky is just as lengthy on the palate (what a middling comment, S.). Colour: deep gold. Nose: old walnuts, patchouli, dried flowers, blood oranges, damp earth, tobacco, and, simply put, oloroso. Once again, it really feels like true oloroso. With water: water lifts the distillate to the surface, bringing out oils (sesame, sunflower), beeswax, and a fresh mastic note. Absolutely top-notch, this two-step character. Mouth (neat): almost feels like there’s some Port Mourant in there, or another rather hefty Demerara rum. Chocolate, nuts, coffee, olive oil, along with liquorice and bitter oranges. With water: no, back to the original distillate, nectar, cosmetics, pollen, and very ripe apple… Finish: long, more herbal as often, but the green walnut takes charge. You have to bow to it. Comments: absolutely beautiful, though it might need another ten years to push it into the 90s.
SGP:461 - 88 points.

It’s time to choose one last one, I think...

Glen Elgin 16 yo 2008/2024 (58.8%, Lady of the Glen, tawny Port finish, cask #800178, 266 bottles)

Oops, the Port is back, but we’ll bring some order to it. Colour: Rosy amber. Yep. Nose: strawberry takes the lead here, especially in the form of jam and liqueur. Plus wild strawberries and dried figs. The worst part is, it’s quite pleasant, especially the wild strawberry, king of fruits (no, dear friends in Asia, it’s not durian). With water: a hint of herbal tea (hawthorn) and cranberry syrup. Notes of slate and clay, just for the record. Mouth (neat): truly, it’s all about strawberry liqueur, strawberry jam, strawberry syrup, strawberry sweets, strawberry yoghurt… (I think they get it, S.). With water: and honey. Finish: long, sweet, with ultra-ripe strawberries and dried raisins, plus the usual black pepper. Comments: Very nice, quite fun, but still, maybe just a little bit too much for me.
SGP: 641 - 82 points.

Check the index of all Glen Elgin we've tasted so far