Weekend Briefs April 2023: Glenglassaugh, Glenfarclas, Edradour, and Bunnahabhain
Behold! A handful of reviews from a recent weeknight tasting— though I use the term recent loosely here as it took me a few weeks to actually get around to typing up and editing my notes. These four bottles are relatively eclectic, and there was no clear unifying theme between them aside from the fact that they were all available and were either part of an official tasting lineup or things I was peer-pressured (or maybe just encouraged) to try later on.
Overall, they were all quite delightful, and most of them were not things I typically gravitate toward. I rarely see Glenglassaugh, and this was only my second time trying something from the distillery. The house-style Glenfarclas is typically a bit light and sherry-forward for my taste. Still, some of the cask strength offerings, such as the Japan-exclusive below, demonstrate how beautifully thick and chocolaty the spirit can be. The Edradour was the other odd one in the lineup; the distillery style is typically too cask-forward for my taste, though clearly, Signatory acquires some excellent casks for their distillery. Peated Bunnahabhain in a dechar/rechar cask? Well, it was not a huge surprise I found that in my glass!
Whisky Details: Glenglassaugh Revival 46%
Nose: Malty and fruity with subtle melon soda, soda bread, faint floral hints of lavender which lent the impression of clean cotton sheets on a clothesline flapping in a picturesque Alpine setting.
Palate: Medium-bodied, fruity and mellow musty herbs, old paper, dehydrated apples, oak, cured tobacco leaf, hints of orange rind and cracked black pepper, honey, maple pancake syrup, mild earthiness with dried leaves and vegetation.
Finish: Medium-length with yellowed old paper, autumn leaves, and earthy ginger.
Score: 6
Narrative & Notes: I love a dram with good autumn vibes, and this had a wonderful undercurrent of those herbal-earthy notes. I was surprised at how enjoyable this whisky was as I often see these Glenglassaugh releases just sitting on the shelf and gathering dust in spirits and wine shops. They seem to be everywhere, but no one seems to be buying them in my area— I assume at some point distributor offered them at a steep discount, which is why they seem ubiquitous. Yet the distillery, as a brand, remains relatively unknown, and therefore they appear to sit on the shelves. I am not sure if I will be loudly singing the praises of this bottle. Still, in terms of introductory malts, especially to lesser-known distilleries, this was really nice and certainly on the upper end of what one might expect.
Whisky Details: Glenfarclas 12 Year 57.6% Cask Strength Batch 4, Japan Exclusive
Nose: Strawberries and chocolate, stewed fruits and coffee, more subtle notions of balsamic vinegar, crème brûlée warm from the blow torch, the aroma was all dessert with hints of richer subtleties.
Palate: Medium-bodied, strawberry syrup, lilikoi, overripe strawberry guava, slightly earthy matcha green tea, annatto seeds, coffee and chocolate crescendoed at the end, caramel fudge brownies.
Finish: Medium to long with a kiss of salt, stewed fruit, and chocolate-covered coffee beans.
Score: 7
Narrative & Notes: Why does this have to be a Japan Exclusive? I usually find the Glenfarclas house style too light and a bit boring for my taste with its emphasis on fruit and spice. This whisky was nothing like that; fruit and spice abounded but arrived with rich chocolate, coffee, earth, and tropical notes on the palate. The whisky had a lovely body and thickness, not quite the full-throttled experience of my favorite Glenfarclas, a slightly younger release from Dramfool, but not far off either. Maybe I gave up on Glenfarclas a bit too easily; I would not mind having an affordable sherry-driven whisky like this on hand. Indeed, I wish they had a release similar to this available in the United States— maybe one already exists, and I have totally missed it; if so, I will keep my eyes peeled.
Whisky Details: Edradour 9 Year (2011) First Fill Marsala Hogshead 61.4%, Signatory Vintage Cask 74
Nose: Fruit punch and leather, herbal passion fruit tea, hints of violets and florals, musty stewed fruits and spice, anise and peppercorn.
Palate: Medium to light-bodied, fruit punch Life Savers and bubble gum, floral-herbal passion fruit tea, herbal with fruity accents, mild dragon fruit jelly, old papers with a hint of musty cardboard.
Finish: Medium to long, drying, faintly fruity herbal tea.
Score: 6-7
Narrative & Notes: Usually, these Edradour cask bombs are a bit too heavy and cask-driven for my taste, but this was uncharacteristically balanced. The cask was present but never drowned out the other flavors, permitting greater complexity to emerge and different layers of fruity candies, herbal tea, and musty papers to come through. I thought the whisky took well to water, and a few drops helped highlight more of the fruit and some of those library stacks, occasionally cardboard, notes. To be sure, those last notes were never wet-cardboard or anything undesirable but more akin to new fresh boxes or old papers preserved at a constant cool temperature. After trying this dram, I am more curious to try a refill ex-bourbon Edradour, if they even exist, and get a feel for the quality of the spirit without the cask taking the starring role.
Whisky Details: Bunnahabhain Staoisha 8 Year (2013) Dechar/Rechar Hogshead 64.9%, Signatory Vintage Cask 900276
Nose: Seaweed candies and burning lemon drops, maritime and slightly acrid, toffee sweetness verging on burnt caramel, sinus-clearing medicinal herbs.
Palate: Medium-bodied, buttery and acrid, rusted or burnt copper top batteries, medicinal herbs, tinctures in the traditional medicine shop, maritime salt throughout, coal smoke at the end, salty tar on the beach.
Finish: Medium-length with seaweed candies, subtle citrus, and a hint of soot.
Score: 7
Narrative & Notes: I was a bit hesitant to pour this during our evening tasting as there were so many other whiskies from distilleries I taste far less often than Bunnahabhain. I was also taking it a bit easier than usual and focusing more on the food and the company rather than busying myself with much in the way of reviews. Well, I gave in to peer pressure for this one as I was told it would be right up my alley, though I had a twinge of doubt as heavily peated Bunnahabhain sometimes veer on the saccharine side for my taste. Initially, the aroma had me thinking it might be too sweet, an issue I have had with some of the SMWS releases more than the dechar/rechar releases from Signatory. Still, I was a bit suspicious after the nose— even if it did have some lovely maritime and herbal notes. I was relieved when the palate turned out to be relatively balanced, or at least not overly sweet, with more emphasis on metallic and mineral notes alongside the classic maritime and herbal profile. The candied sweetness did linger on the finish, but not unpleasantly so.
Overall, I really enjoy these dechar/rechar Bunnahabhain, especially for the price— I have seen these retail anywhere from $50-100, with many coming in on the lower end of the scale, and that is a hard bargain to beat.
