Whisky : Glenturret 18 Year SMWS 16.39 “Sweetness and spice laced with mystery”

Country/Region : Scotland/Highland

ABV : 55.2%

Cask : 17 Years 2nd Fill Port Pipe, 1 Year 2nd Fill HTMC European Oak Puncheon

Age : 18 Years (Distilled 20 Mar. 2001)

Nose : Floral, malty, and funky.  Sweet earthy flower bed, malty rising dough, and butter pound cake emerge at first, before a horse bed of old hay, manure, and pears come into focus.  Tart fruits and cream, like a tropical yogurt fruit cup, come through along with nutty miso paste.

Palate : Thick and syrupy, this has a lovely oily viscosity.  Opens with fruit and pastries— pear custard, baking spices, mulled apple cinnamon cider, and butter rum punch.  Cherimoya and custardy tropical fruits come into focus.  Musty earthy spice slowly builds along with the Spring funk of damp bark and flowering tree buds. 

Finish :  Lingering damp florals, sweet rotted wood, and honey comb.

Score : 8

Mental Image : Horse’s Garden Party

Something Better : Glen Ord 9 Year SMWS 77.57 (similar yogurt funk, more fruit/malt)

Something Similar : Ardmore 10 Year SMWS 66.150 (similar old hay/fruits, more smoke/bbq)

Something Similar : Caol Ila 6 Year SMWS 53.276 (similar wood/damp bark, more maritime)

Notes :  Weird… but satisfying.  This dram went all over the map driving in circles between fruit, florals, cream, and earthy funk.  It was one hell of a ride and I really enjoyed it.  I love the farmyard funk notes that come through on Glenturret— both the peated and unpeated varieties.  It reminds me strongly of Bruichladdich’s own farmyard funk— though I find Glenturret to be slightly more in the barn to Bruichladdich’s pasture.  This was a fun mix of farmyard notes with creamy tropical fruits and pastries.  The only thing it was missing was a bit longer and more intense finish.  While there was an initial blast of complex notes, the intensity fell off and ultimately the honeycomb note that remained was more on the waxy side of honeycomb than the sugary sweet honey.  That aside, this was a wonderful bottle and I remain pretty hot on Glenturret based on my recent experiences