Glen Garioch 15 Year Old

Glen Garioch‘s history is fairly typical for a Scottish whisky; first opened in 1797, it changed hands several times over its bumpy history, was postponed at one stage and later reopened. Nothing spectacularly interesting so far as I could find. Far more exciting, at least in my opinion, is the design of the bottle and box of their 15 year old expression – a classic bottle Scotch bottle design, accompanied by a classy tartan patterned box, a combination that simply cannot disappoint. Unfortunately the whisky can, and did.

As much as I wish that I could like every Scottish whisky on the market, there are some that just don’t excite me at all, and this is one of those whiskies. There is just nothing about it that stands out, that gives it character or flare,  tickles the palate, intrigues me or even makes me particularly long for the next sip. It is by no means a bad or unpalatable whisky, it’s just incredibly mediocre. Add to that a hefty price around the $62, and it simply cannot stand up to its competitors.

The nose lacks luster, and feebly attempts to tickle your fancy with notes of perfume, malt, some sherry (mainly raisin sweetness), a bit of heather and a dash of citrus. Not a bad combination as such, but I would expect much more from a whisky in its price bracket. Upon tasting, the palate is fairly similar, with an added touch of spice, some ripe fruit and a shy, ghostly touch of smoke.

If you’re looking to spend a fair bit of money on what would best be described as a spectacularly average whisky, this is the bottle you’re looking for. If not, I would unfortunately recommend that you move along and start looking at something else. Why not take a look at Auchentoshan 12, Bunnahabhain 12 or Clynelish 14, for example?

Color: Copper.

Nose: Perfume, malt, some sherry (raisin), heather, citrus.

Taste: Similar to nose, touch of spice, ripe fruit, shy smoke.

Want to buy this whisky? Available in: USA & World (click), UK & Europe (click)