Glen Garioch 1980 Vintage, 22 Year Old Individual Cask Bottling / 53.6% / 0.7l

Glen Garioch is a small distillery based in Old Meldrum in the Eastern Highlands.

The official date of establishment is 1797, although sources indicate that distillation there had been going on for a dozen or so years earlier. Since 1968, Glen Garioch has belonged to Morrison Bowmore Distillers, which is currently part of the Beam Suntory group. In the second half of the 20th century, Glen Garioch was considered one of the peatiest single malts from the Highlands. The distillery ceased operations in 1995, and when it resumed two years later, it completely abandoned the use of peated malt. Here we present Glen Garioch from the "old school", a whisky distilled on September 15, 1980, aged in a hogshead cask no. 5688 for 22 years and bottled at cask strength (53.6% abv) in the "Individual Cask Bottling" series.

Nose: honey, vanilla, toffee, blood oranges, cantaloupe, peaches, cappuccino, roasted peanuts, white pepper, forest floor, tobacco, potpourri and peat smoke in the background.

Palate : honeyed breakfast cereals, vanilla, cherries, peaches, toast with mirabelle jam, sugared nuts, lemongrass, white pepper, ginger, notes of peat and oak.

Finish: quite long, pleasantly smoky, with notes of vanilla, honey, ripe summer fruits, licorice, white pepper, a touch of mint and oak.