Glen Garioch 19yo b.2025 (48%, Whisky Souls Living Souls, First Fill Sherry Butts): nose: oh! hello. Here are lacquered jewel cases, brown shoe polish and teak oil with a spoonful of earth in the middle. Further nosing adds a ball of modelling wax, leather sofas (or faux leather), leather polish in a spray can, and prune syrup. It is increasingly fruity in that dried-fruit way, with dried figs and prunes easily dominating dark shoe polish applied on leather boots. The second nose is a bit more plastic-y, with empty saffron capsules, an oilcloth stored in the cupboard for decades, and burlap gone all stiff. Perhaps there is a little plasticine stained with bright-colour ink -- unless it is grapevine blended into a paste. In any case, tilting the glass revives the earth and adds syrup-glazed ginger. Mouth: sultanas, dried figs, prunes, fig relish augmented with jellied jalapeños (jelly-peños?), a dollop of shoe polish, and even pressed grapes. It is sweet and earthy, with a few spices such as amchur and asafoetida. In the long run, it gains some ink too, from a ballpoint, to be precise. The second sip is fruitier and the fruits are fresher. We find honey-coated Mirabelle plums, stem ginger in tinned half-peaches, and cinnamon sticks dunked in prune syrup. It is a smidge bitter, with tangerine foliage, albeit coated in honey, as well as mixed peel. Finish: fruity here too, it has raisins, a kind of blueberry paste, dried figs and dark grapes. If there is any earth at this stage, it is heavily seasoned with grape juice. It has soft spices too, a blend of cassia bark, cloves and cured ginger. The second gulp has a big, sweet note and a gentle bitterness. Again, I think of stem ginger, but also candied chilli, and, now, candied angelica. Another very good Garioch with a pleasant Sherry maturation. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)
Happy birthday, FH, MD and JPH.
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