Glenturret 13 Year (2004), Gordon & MacPhail Batch 18/028
Whisky: Glenturret 13 Year (2004), Gordon & MacPhail Batch 18/028
Country/Region: Scotland/Highland
ABV: 56.9%
Cask: Refill Sherry Hogshead
Age: 13 Years (Distilled 2004, Bottled 8 March 2018)
Nose: Dried fruits, berries, baking spices, anise, treacle and pudding; more leather, paper, book glue, and char further in.
Palate: Medium-bodied, weighty and oily, dried fruits, apples, cherries, anise, caramel; malty desserts and pastries, golden syrup; woody with leather and peppercorns late on.
Finish: Medium-length with dried fruit and old book bindings.
Score: 6-7 (80)
Mental Image: A Stately Private Library
Narrative & Notes: Rich dried fruits with berries, plums, and dates arrived first with more subtle baking spices and anise lingering in the background. Hints of treacle and puddings drifted toward old leather bound books, glue, and paper— a velvet smoking jacket, perhaps. Medium-bodied, though on the heavier side, with a mouth-coating oiliness that delivered rich dried fruits, anise, and caramel. It was all sticky puddings and deserts with golden syrup, apples, and a malty richness. Slightly drying over time with cherries and woody cherry pits lingering alongside a touch of leather and peppercorns. The finish was medium-length with dried fruits and old book bindings.
A step or two above the average sherry bomb, this Glenturret was mostly dominated by the cask— which was surprisingly only a refill sherry hogshead. I had to check that a few times as I thought for sure this was a first fill considering how prominent the dried fruits and caramel were. As heavy as the cask was, the malt still shone through at times and provided some wonderful malty depth to the proceedings. I thought this benefited from a bit of water to draw out some of the shyer qualities, but the spirit was well-integrated and balanced enough that it was perfectly pleasant as is.
Overall, I will not shy away from the fact that I prefer my Glenturret with a bit of peat and some additional age, but this was still delightful.
