This Glen Garioch was bottled by Decadent Drinks under its Whisky Sponge series— once the center of attention, but now just one stop in the broader geography of Whisky Land and all their many spin offs. Is twenty years in a first fill port barrique still considered a finish when it’s longer than the initial maturation? Or is that long enough to simply call it a second maturation?

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Whisky: Glen Garioch 30 Year (1991), WhiskySponge No. 65A

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 41.4%

Cask: Refill Hogshead (10Y), First Fill Port Barrique (20Y)

Age: 30 Years (Distilled 1991, Bottled 2022)

Notes: Rich dried fruits, honey, and old cosmetics met lanolin, wood resins, sandalwood, and barbecue potato chips. The aroma floated between sweet and savory: apples and pork, teriyaki salmon, cranberries and sea bass. In a sandalwood chest sat an old tobacco pipe, a sea shell collection, and a few dusty tomes. Medium to full-bodied on the palate with a tannic heft that gradually settled into a mellow paraffin-like waxiness. That old sandalwood chest kicked things off with a gentle wood and resinous spice, ginger, tobacco pipe, and old dusty tomes— a yellowed paper and cracked leather vibe. This was musty and dusty upfront, but gradually more dried fruits and berries appeared. Rich and decadent with golden syrup, raisins, cranberries, strawberries, vanilla, and a kiss of balsamic. The meatier impressions of the aroma were fleeting at best as more baking spice and woody resin slipped in at the end. The finish was long with a return of the fruity-savory quality as melon and prosciutto or apples and pork reappeared.

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Score: 8-9 (89)

Mental Image: Pilfered Treasure Chest

Conclusion: Wow! This was fantastic, though it took a little while to warm up— not an unexpected facet considering the age and the maturation. I worried that the first fill port barrique would overwhelm the malt, even with such a large format cask typically providing a more gentle effect.  However, my worries were misplaced. While the cask played a starring role in the flavors, it never felt dominant and enough the distillery character still came through that a bit of magic sparked in the glass. Overall, fantastic.