A small trio of peated Glenturret


April 10, 2024

A small trio of
peated Glenturret

A preliminary question, is 'Ruadh Maor', which some also spell as 'Ruadh Mhor', truly the official name for the peated Glenturret? In any case, this name is used by independents, but we also have an official 'Glenturret Peat Smoked' on the table. We will inquire further, but in the meantime, you can read this fascinating article by the excellent Iain Russell about 'the oldest distillery in Scotland', with Glenturret being one of the proud claimants.

Glenturret 7 yo 'Peat Smoked' (44%, OB, 2022 release)

Ex-American oak sherry-seasoned casks, plus refill. Hope there's a majority of refill to let the distillate better shine through. We've already tried an official 'Glenturret 'Peated Edition' at 43% vol. around ten years ago and thought it was rather pretty good (WF 81). Colour: gold. Nose: notes of melted butter at first, then some very neat saline peat with a little horseradish and mustard, as well as some marmalade. It's a fresh, almost refreshing smokiness that we're finding on the nose. Mouth: a little sweeter than expected and more on root vegetables, carrots, salty wine (that could be manzanilla, no?) and once again a little mustard. A little pickled ginger too, this should go well with sushi burritos. Right, sushi. Very nice, growing bitterness (amaro, artichoke). Finish: long and really salty. Wondering which molecules would trigger this much saltiness, given that chemically, 'there is not salt in whisky' (an old controversy among enthusiasts on the Internet – especially American and Canadian friends). Pickled onions and small citrus. Comments: less bright than the Islays for example, but that's certainly the fate of many a peated mainlander.
SGP:555 - 84 points.

Ruadh Maor 11 yo 2011 (57.1%, Hogshead Imports, 1st fill PX solera hogshead, 325 bottles, +/-2023)

What's a PX solera hogshead? I suppose, but I'm not sure, that they've recoopered solera butts as hogsheads, even if the lengths of the staves do not quite match, do they? Not too sure, really… Colour: gold. Nose: much tighter, close to raw kirschwasser and just lemon juice, plus some nail polish remover and a drop of diesel oil. The thing is, this works a treat. With water: ashes, chalk and plaster! Mouth (neat): the most wonderful PX solera HHD we've ever stumbled upon. No fatness, all seawater, green peppercorns and lemon juice, plus a little green walnut. With water: awesome tightness, more salti.. I mean salinity, cigar ashes, lime juice and perhaps a drop of high-ester Jamaican rum. Im-pec-ca-ble. Finish: more of the same for a rather long time. More green walnuts, though. Comments: you can't fault this one. Now, please tell us more about those solera hogsheads…
SGP:456 - 88 points.

Ruadh Maor 12 yo (56.4%, Dràm Mor, 1st fill bourbon, cask #9002123, 272 bottles, 2023)

No wine involved this time, but TBH earlier peated 'turrets by Dràm Mor that had met wine casks had remained very good. Even white Port. Colour: straw. Nose: super close to the Hogshead Imports, just a tad tighter yet. Gooseberry and lime juices, cigar ashes, husk, cut grass. With water: once again, chalk, clay, charcoal, plasticine… Mouth (neat): cuts you in perfect halves. Gherkin brine and lime juice. With water: more sweetness (limoncello) from the bourbon cask, a little aniseed, turmeric, green peppercorn, and just spicy bread. Finish: really long, a notch medicinal now. Big pepper in the aftertaste. Comments: mucho impressive, surprisingly impressive.
SGP:466 - 88 points.

Those two indie peated Glenturrets were really something, kudos to both bottlers.

Check the index of all Glenturret we've tasted so far