Whisky: Glen Grant 23 Year (1997), Gordon & MacPhail

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 57.6%

Cask: Refill American Oak

Age: 23 Years (Distilled 1997, Bottled 25 Jan. 2021)

Nose: Cream, citrus, and salt. Bath bombs ahoy as notes of Epson and bath salts collided with shea butter, tea, dried mango, and subtle lavender. Mellow lemon and orange peel notes arrived with honey, yogurt raisins, and sultanas.

Palate: Medium-bodied with citrus, tobacco, and spice. Hints of cream and oak swirled behind black pepper, ginger, and cigar box notes. A mellow minerality and salt appeared on the mid-palate and carried on to the back with grapefruit, dried lemon peel, and honeycomb. Cracked pepper and salt continued onto the finish.

Finish: Lingering pepper, citrus, and salt.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Bath Bomb & Netflix

Notes: You might not have noticed, but I love a good bath time dram. I do not soak that often, but when I do, I love to have a dram ready to go along with some ice water, maybe a snack, and something to read. The dram is essential for setting the mood, so I am particular about bath time drams. I love something mellow with hints of tropical fruit, citrus, and cream. I found this to be a wonderful entry into the category of bath drams.

I tasted his blind initially and thought it quite familiar— yet, I could not quite place the flavor and guessed it was a Linkwood. I was not surprised to find out it was a Glen Grant, though I was surprised that the Gordon & MacPhail tasting notes matched my own. So hey, at least I have some sense of taste, even if I am lousy at blindly identifying bottles or distilleries.

Overall, a lovely and relaxing dram with good depth and a wonderfully long finish. It grew on me with every sip.