Whisky: Glen Garioch 18 Year (1998), Adelphi

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 58.2%

Cask: Refill Sherry Butt

Age: 18 Years (Distilled 1998, Bottled 2017)

Nose: Dried fruit, strawberry cream candies, lacquered wood, incense-laden herbal smoke, brown sugar with a hint of cayenne, coriander, and salt.

Palate: Medium-bodied with dried fruits, fig pastries, caramel sauce, woody incense, leather, brown sugar, walnuts, and sticky buns. Candied cherries and dry baking spice at the end.

Finish: Long and lingering with cherry, baking spices, and a hint of citrus.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Cocohodo Walnut Pastry Binge

Narrative & Notes: Rich and sherried, the aroma was full of dried fruits, lacquered wood, oaky incense, and a cloud of herbal smoke. Hints of char, brown sugar, cayenne, and a kiss of salt left me imagining barbecue-flavored chips. The profile was medium-bodied with a basket of pastries loaded with dried berries, figs, caramel sauce, and brown sugar. I imagined rich sticky buns and dark espresso in a cafe with subtle notes of woody incense and leather as patrons filled in and out. A sweet candied cherry came on at the end with a lovely blend of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. The cherry and baking spices carried through on a long finish as a gentle citrus poked in to give the impression of cherry-limeade. A few drops of water brought out more rich chocolate, figs, and leather with brown sugar on the finish.

The nose on this was remarkably restrained and relatively uncomplicated. It had a lovely kiss of barbecue— or barbecue chip flavoring— which I love to find on the occasional sherried whiskies. The cask was in the driver seat as far as flavors go, yet the palate was more complex than the nose as an entire bake shop opened for perusal. Though the whisky was not quite malty, it lent itself to the impression of pastries, especially brown sugar and walnut buns.

I expected something more akin to a sherry bomb than a dram with well-structured layers of pastries, fruit, and spice, so I was pleasantly surprised. Overall, a delightfully delicate Glen Garioch.

Image Credit: Master of Malt