A small gathering of Glen Garioch


July 2, 2026

A small gathering of Glen Garioch

In years gone by, we’ve enjoyed our fair share of old Glen Gariochs, notably the celebrated 1968 sherry monsters and the intensely peated bottlings from the early 1970s, often championed by Silvano Samaroli. Later came the younger expressions, unpeated but often brimming with attractive orchard fruits: apples, gooseberries and plums. Yet a few old casks remained and today offers the chance to taste them once again, starting with an older beauty by way of a warning. For as the saying goes, there is little glory in victory when there was no danger to overcome in the first place.

Caramel ice cream drizzled
with crème de mûre.

Glengarioch 18 yo 1975/1994 (46.3%, Cadenhead, Original Collection)

Indeed, Cadenhead used to call its Glen Garioch ‘Glengarioch’ at one point in time. Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: oh yes, I remember this well, that rather extraordinary combination of coal gas, embrocations, greasy gauze, smoke bombs, and above all peaty cider, if such a thing could ever truly exist. It really is a ‘different’ kind of peat, and it remains difficult to understand why they rather quickly abandoned peated production. Then again, you could argue that Diageo’s predecessors did much the same at Brora. A matter of blender demand, beyond any doubt. Mouth: this remains utterly distinctive, leaning more towards wood smoke, especially beechwood, than towards raw peat itself. Perhaps it lacks a little oomph, but that occasionally happened within the Original Collection, generally reduced a little further than the Authentic Collection. The fact remains that this is a splendid peated whisky, packed with tart apples and tiny green lemons galore, not to be confused with limes. Finish: fairly long all the same, lemony and medicinal, always carrying that unmistakable green apple character. Smoked green apples, naturally. Comments: do understand me properly, this remains a magnificent Glen Garioch, sorry, Glengarioch from its peated era. A style that has now become virtually impossible to find, even on the mainland.
SGP:466 - 90 points.

Glen Garioch 31 yo (54.6%, Elixir Distillers 'Macbeth Act One: The Thanes', four bourbon barrels, 600 bottles, 2023)

Angus has already tasted this one and liked it a great deal (WF 89). As it happens, the character on the label is also called Angus, ha. As for me, as usual, I’m late to the party. Colour: pale gold. Nose: apple tart drizzled with honey and sprinkled with ground cinnamon, served alongside a glass of demi-sec Champagne. With water: a few touches of mint and fresh rubber. Entirely natural, needless to say. Mouth (neat): clearly one of those early 1990s batches, though this one leans rather more towards exotic fruits, perhaps the work of time itself. Papaya, pink grapefruit, a little passion fruit, then apples and pears. Excellent, and ultimately showing remarkably little of its age. Wildflower honey throughout. With water: it shifts towards yellow citrus fruits, and that is always something we enjoy immensely. It becomes almost razor-sharp. Finish: long, fairly lively, lemony, with a few touches of quinine mingling with honey. Comments: I agree with Angus, of course, although he found it considerably oakier than I did, having just reread his notes. That said, it remains difficult to grasp that this is the same distillery that produced the splendid 1975 tasted above.
SGP:461 - 89 points.

Glen Garioch 52 yo 1973/2026 (53.8%, WhiskyLand, Decadent Drinks, 1st fill sherry butt, 240 bottles)

Right, we confess, we have already downed a few centilitres of this baby by way of preparation (shall we say), but time has come to taste it seriously. One should also remember that 1973 is the year Glen Garioch restarted after works, under its new owners of three or four years, P. Morrison. Before that, it was D.C.L. But there had indeed already been some 1970, 1971 or 1972, at any rate I have tasted a few, to my greatest joy. Like those Samarolis!!! Colour: mahogany. Nose: cedar wood steeped in menthol and very old sherry, then camphor and old liquorice and tar liqueurs, finally woodland mushrooms, mosses and ferns. You may add a few drops of very old Ténarèze armagnac if you wish. It is very elegant but, in the end, dazzling. With water: I immediately think of Paul Bocuse’s VGE soup. Truffles, foie gras, mushrooms, celery, Noilly Prat. And so, Glen Garioch 1973. Mouth (neat): magical combination of green chartreuse and triple-sec, both dating from before the war. The wood speaks in a ‘old fir tree’ register. Bitter chocolate and mocha come to complete the whole thing. With water: extraordinary, with a dry side at first (amaro, tobacco, dark chocolate) then a development on citrus soup with black olives. I swear. Finish: long but fine, slipping away little by little like the old singer of a rock band after the final encore, while raisins of all kinds and coffees take care of the coda. Comments: a magnificent coup by Angus and Decadent Drinks, I did not think there would still be any of these beasts after the very lovely official 1973 for The Whisky Exchange. But that was in 2014.
SGP:573 - 94 points.

We shall not venture into another old GG, but to bring things back down gently, perhaps we could enjoy, after a short but necessary break, one or two considerably younger expressions.

Glen Garioch 13 yo 2012/2026 (49.7%, Villa Konthor and The Whisky Agency, ruby Port barrique)

Let us pretend, if you please, that we had not noticed it was ruby Port. One should always beware of preconceptions, we know that only too well. Colour: well, it is rather difficult to overlook, this whisky is as pink as a partridge’s eye. A drunken partridge’s eye, moreover. Nose: quite simply, fruit plus fruit equals fruit, that much is beyond dispute. Ripe apples and strawberry jam lead the way, obvious notes indeed, while, let us add that we are particularly fond of it, there is plenty of blackberry liqueur. A small piece of advice while we are at it, find yourself an excellent caramel ice cream and pour a little blackberry liqueur over it, or indeed a little of this Glen Garioch, and you may thank me later. Lyonnais praline tart as well, do you know the style? Mouth: the worst part is that it actually works. This is high-class sangria, thoroughly dominated by strawberries. Pepper, star anise, cinnamon... and once again that blackberry liqueur returns. Or perhaps blackberry cream liqueur. Finish: long, becoming increasingly jammy, to the point where you could almost spread it over your breakfast toast. Green pepper arrives to put the final signature on the whole affair. Comments: we may joke about it, but this is genuinely very successful, I’m afraid. There are no impregnable fortresses, only fortresses that have been badly attacked (Choderlos de Laclos).
SGP:751 - 85 points.

Let's have a young bourbon-cask dram and leave it at that...

Glen Garioch 13 yo 2011/2025 (57.8%, Watashi Whisky, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #3732)

It is rather amusing how people now adorn their bottles with cultural motifs linked to their own countries, whereas in the old days everyone seemed content with bagpipes, thistles, stag heads, Celtic crosses or, at a push, ruined castles. Yes, or Nessie. We travel a great deal more these days! Colour: white wine. Nose: this is modern GG in its purest form, centred on ripe apples, greengages, mirabelles, quince, vanilla, acacia honey and the faintest hint of sea breeze. Nothing whatsoever to complain about. With water: a few notes of freshly baked pastries emerge, lemon tart, scones and the like. Mouth (neat): excellent, vibrant and beautifully tangy, full of lemon and green apples, with a very pronounced sharpness. With water: very, very good, wonderfully lively and intensely lemony. You can almost count your vertebrae as it goes down, thereby checking that everything remains exactly where it should be. Finish: fairly long and still wonderfully vibrant, packed with magnificent lemons and grapefruits. Comments: hey, that business about the vertebrae was only a joke! In any case, this little GG was absolutely spot on.
SGP:561 - 87 points.

Check the index of all Glen Garioch we've tasted