A small quartet of independent Glen Moray


July 4, 2024

A small quartet of independent Glen Moray

We have a fondness for Glen Moray, a distillery that has supported many enthusiastic beginners due to its carefully considered quality/price policy. We’ll always remember the former manager Stuart Tompson, who later moved to Ardbeg and who passed away this year. The deafening silence from his former employers has been quite remarkable, by the way.

(A mauresque, 3cl pastis, 1cl orgeat/almond sirup)

Glen Moray 15 yo 2005/2021 (54.7%, The Whisky Cellar, Private Cellars Selection, bourbon barrel, cask #6918, 182 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: so typical! Hay, straw, apples, grains, brioche, vanilla, pilsner beer, pizza dough (not from Domino’s, mind you) … With water: gueuze, almond milk, custard, apple juice… Mouth (neat): very good, fresh, fruity with fresh hazelnuts, rhubarb, Granny Smith apples, half a cup of green tea, malty notes, café latte… With water: adds syrups, cane, agave, barley… Actually, it becomes quite sweet but remains balanced. Finish: let’s say it, there’s a Nutella side. Please accept, ladies and gentlemen, our deepest apologies. Also Piedmont hazelnut cream with white chocolate. A killer, it should be banned, better to sip Glen Moray, it’s healthier. Comments: a perfect malt "at 85" in our book.
SGP:641 - 85 points.

Glen Moray 2007/2022 (53.7%, Caora, N°12, cask #5672, 273 bottles)

We love these sober and distinguished labels. It’s becoming quite rare in Scotchdom. Colour: straw. Nose: very similar but more on kirsch, fruit stones, almonds, also very tight citrus, think finger limes. Orgeat. Makes you want to pour some in pastis, creating what we call a "mauresque." With water: same sensations, plus apple juice. Glen Moray, when not boosted by weird casks, always leans towards apple juice. I insist, it’s good for your health (they’ll shut this miserable site down one day, I’m sure). Mouth (neat): citrus takes the lead, and we must mention homemade limoncello again. Lemon peel, cane sugar. With water: the same, plus kirsch or any other stone fruit-based spirit. Finish: the same. Comments: it really doesn’t disappoint.
SGP:551 - 85 points.

Glen Moray 15 yo 2007/2023 (55.6%, Premium-drinks, Switzerland, bourbon barrel, cask #1609, 199 bottles)

I think all Glen Moray we’ve had today were for Switzerland. Hallo, Nachbarn. Colour: gold. Nose: buttercream, buttery croissants, vanilla fudge, orgeat syrup again, white chocolate, roasted hazelnuts, sesame halva… Here we are really close to the original sin. With water: white chocolate and Earl Grey tea. Mouth (neat): perfect, young calvados, young rum, chestnut purée, blond nougat, drops of pinot gris… With water: same. Finish: long, same. Very ‘barley’ and praline. Comments: the totally natural side of these Glen Moray is just wonderful. It’s brilliant to stay close to the ingredients and away from the improbable seasonings that may sometimes overly aromatise ‘malt whisky’ these days. Is it malt, or is it not malt?
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Glen Moray 14 yo 2007/2022 ‘Hong Kong Memories’ (53.7%, Joint bottling for Hong Kong Whisky Bars, finished in first fill oloroso sherry, casks #6548 + 6549, 248 bottles)

A joint bottling for bars Butler, Casky, Club Qing, House Welley, Malt Cask, The Whisky Gallery, and Wood Ear. It was finished in a proper solera butt, which has become even more uncommon than it used to be. I believe it is the Aberdeen Jumbo floating restaurant on the label; we had lunch there in 1987. An impressive place where, it seems, Queen Elizabeth II, Jimmy Carter, Tom Cruise, and Gong Li have also dined. Alas, the floating restaurant had to be relocated to Cambodia but sank during the journey in 2022. Colour: gold. Nose: a full blast of roasted nuts, walnut liqueur, coffee, very dark chocolate, and a few touches of mustard, very typically heavy sherry. It’s closer to a Glenfarclas than a Glen Moray, in my humble opinion. With water: an avalanche of brown tobacco, reminiscent of Gauloises or Gitanes, if that means anything to you. Mouth (neat): a rich and peppery sherry that reminds us even more of GF. Very powerful, very dry, like biting into 90% cocoa chocolate. A few Corinthian raisins add a bit of roundness. With water: chocolate stuffed with rum-soaked raisins. Finish: long, with a more glutamate-like side. Very peppery beef broth and a bit of honey in the aftertaste. Comments: also a little reminiscent of the sublime official vintage editions distilled in the late 50s and early 60s. The 1962 at 50.9% is particularly impressive. One should take their time and love sherry as much as I do. Otherwise…
SGP:462 - 87 points.

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