
June 9, 2025

The Return of the Glentauchers (Part 4)

I couldn't tell you why we’ve accumulated so many Glentauchers over the past months or years, I imagine some distinguished brokers have unloaded quite a few cask lots onto the market. Not that we’re complaining; some of them are excellent. And once we’re done, we’ll put together a little ranking for the number crunchers. Right then, let’s carry on at random...

Four time Olympic chamion Kjetil André Aamodt (olympics.com)

Glentauchers 15 yo 2008/2022 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail, Distillery Label)

We had sampled the 2008/2023 the other day and quite enjoyed it (WF 85). In theory, this ought to be very similar… Colour: pale gold. Nose: again we find a rather lively edge, citrusy and on apple peel, in any case brisker than its elder sibling (by a year). A few tiny whiffs of geranium blossom, then candied apple, as it rounds out over a few seconds. Mouth: it’s fairly firm again, at least initially, still on citrus fruits, lemon fondant, then an amusingly authentic kir profile, thus with Burgundian aligoté and blackcurrant cream from Dijon. It’s really good and approachable, but without ever tipping into the simplistic. Finish: medium in length, a touch of limoncello. And indeed, blackcurrant cream. Comments: it is livelier than the 2005/2023, and of the same high calibre.
SGP:651 - 85 points.

Glentauchers 25 yo 1997/2022 (49.1%, Single Malt Dreams, bourbon barrel, cask #3870, 165 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: here we’re treated to a Chablis-like character, with limestone, apple, grapefruit, a touch of fresh cement, a few tiny blossoms (honeysuckle), a hint of blackcurrant bud… In short, it’s perfect. Mouth: indeed, a very pretty fruitiness on oranges and melons, that slightly chalky side, some fruit bonbons, again a little blackcurrant, and rather touches of… white Sancerre this time. How amusing. Finish: fairly long, fruity and fresh, slightly jammier in the aftertaste. A whisper of aniseed. Comments: this is superb and goes down effortlessly. And since it’s a Glentauchers for Norway, we shall thus call it ‘Kjetil André Aamodt’.
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Glentauchers 14 yo 2009/2023 (54.4%, Maltbarn, bourbon cask, 155 bottles)

Maltbarn have had some superb 1997s. Colour: white wine. Nose: we find again that chalk, dough, apple, lemon and yeast combo we’re so fond of. Lemon cream, delicate green tea. With water: a few mint leaves, chalky soil, cider apples. Mouth (neat): lovely taut fruitiness, with more spice this time, around candied ginger, with some rather unexpected sultanas for an ex-bourbon. Then again… With water: the water relaxes the barley and citrus; we drift towards grapefruit in barley syrup and light honey. Finish: medium length, returning to orchard fruits, apples and pears. Comments: excellent young GT, fresh and classic.
SGP:651 - 86 points.

Glentauchers-Glenlivet 10 yo 2009/2019 (59.9%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, bourbon hogshead, 330 bottles)

Colour: straw. Nose: it’s the same whisky as the Maltbarn. Of course it’s not exactly the same, but I assure you, you’d be hard pressed to tell them apart. Which is by no means a bad thing. With water: same again. Mouth (neat): same again, identical profile, perhaps just a little more lemony, tangier. With water: same again. Finish: same again. A faint touch of English ‘Champagne’, full of grapefruit. Comments: I think if you added some sugarcane syrup, you could fashion yourself a top-class ‘limoncello’. But don’t take that as a recommendation, mind.
SGP:651 - 86 points.

Glentauchers 24 yo 1996/2020 (49.7%, Asta Morris, bourbon, cask #AM139, 186 bottles)

I must admit we slightly dithered with their 8-year-old last time, but this ought to be a different story. Colour: gold. Nose: fruit salad, including exotic fruits, drizzled with a little runny honey. Bananas, mangoes, apples, pears… All this is exceedingly charming, which, in these times, becomes all the more a rare virtue globally, no? Mouth: magnificent, with a few drops of Sauternes from a fine château joining in, a touch of quince and mirabelle liqueur (they often go together), the rest consisting of that very same fruit salad and, let’s be honest, a very faint Clynelish-esque note, with beeswax. Finish: the citrus fruits make a comeback, tightening everything up at just the right moment. Comments: magnificent, brushing up against perfection. Bravo, master of the little frogs!
SGP:651 - 89 points.

Glentauchers 11 yo 2013/2024 (57.2%, Hogshead Imports for Chichibu Whisky Matsuri 2025, refill barrel)

Colour: straw. Nose: very, very faint smoky and medicinal touches that perhaps stem from the cask’s previous contents, with a slight Ardmore-like character, then apple, rhubarb, pear and greengage compotes, along with ferns and mint… An amusing profile. With water: the banana, pear and pineapple trio emerges, hence amyl diacetate. Be cautious if you’re out in nature; bees perceive these molecules as threats (I’ll explain one day), so best to avoid. Mouth (neat): this time we’re almost entirely immersed in the extravagant fruitiness of young Glentauchers. A family-sized bag of jellybeans, with a predominance of the lemon ones. With water: pear Williams liqueur in full swing and still tonnes of jellybeans. Finish: long, ultra-fruity. Juicy Fruit. Comments: a cracking creature, this young Glentauchers. As for the cask’s previous contents, I’m still pondering…
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Glentauchers 19 yo 2002-2005/2024 (57.1%, Decadent Drams, 1st fill bourbon and 1st fill sherry, 138 bottles)

The bi-vintage Whisky Sponge version was very good last time. It wouldn’t surprise me if we were in similar territory here, as the same vintages were used. Amusing surrealist label, slightly Dali-esque, or Chirico. Colour: gold. Nose: rather more complex than the others, you can sense that the blending has brought another dimension, even if perhaps a bit of precision has been traded for complexity. One must know what one wants in life, mustn’t one? Cigarette tobacco, ripe plums, a touch of leather, furniture polish, Brazil nuts, peppermint, rumtopf, bergamot… But do note, all of this remains fresh and lively. With water: fermentary notes emerge, bread, scones, a very slight trace of tar, mint… Mouth (neat): on the palate we’re much closer to a purer fruitiness, on citrus, rhubarb, whitecurrant, pink peppercorn (Timut)… With water: now all soft and gentle, on meadow honey. Finish: same. Lovely little pears and nicely ripe plums. Comments: both versions are ultimately quite close, even very close when tasted side by side, but I have a preference for this one. Hey, that’s my prerogative!
SGP:661 - 89 points.

Since we're at it...

Glentauchers 17 yo 2005/2023 (55%, Whisky Sponge for La Maison du Whisky, Decadent Drinks, New Vibrations, 1st fill sherry, cask #900402, 300 bottles)

The Arc de Triomphe on the label can only spur on this French taster further. Colour: gold. Nose: inevitably more compact than the multi-vintage bottlings, but we also enjoy these more serene profiles, on sultanas, mirabelle jam and papaya juice. And that’s it. There’s even a surprising bourbon-like side for a 1st fill sherry, though it’s certainly not the first time that’s happened. With water: dandelion honey. Yes, truly. Mouth (neat): if you like mirabelles and pears, this one’s for you. With water: the Williams pear takes even more of a lead. Which is fine, it’s one of the kings of fruits (not just durian, ha). A little raisin roll provides some welcome support. Finish: good length, lovely stewed fruits, Alsatian-style fruitcake of the ‘beerawecka’ sort… well, you might see what I mean. Comments: there’s an easy, obvious charm here, which of course we greatly enjoy (as we too are easy and obvious, oh yes).
SGP:641 - 88 points.

Next time, one final flight of Glentauchers before moving on to something else.

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