Glenlossie 10 Year Old
Founded by John Duff, this Speyside distillery first opened its doors in 1876. Not exactly a newcomer to the scene, then, so how come you haven’t heard of it? Okay so that may be presumptuous, but a lot of people haven’t. This is largely because most of the whisky distilled goes into blends such as Haig, and what is released as a single malt hasn’t received much attention in whisky circles.
A relevant question for this review to answer might then be whether this lack of recognition is deserved or if it ought to be getting more attention than it has. I could answer that straight away, no fuss, but then what would be the fun in that? I’m afraid you’ll have to read some of my nonsense first. Much like an old relative you only meet once every other year, I like to go on, and on. Hopefully my excretions are a bit more interesting than those of your dad’s uncle’s cousin, though!
I read a comment on The Whisky Exchange where some fellow called Kenny said that he found it to have “an incredibly smoked oak taste”, which makes wonder whether we’ve had the same whisky, or perhaps there’s a lot of variance in the different independent/official bottlings? What I did find, however, is a refreshing nose which reminds me of summer – recently mowed lawns, Scottish heather, flowers and dry wood used to light a bonfire.
The palate is smooth and gentle, and again there’s that summer feeling with freshly cut grass drying in the baking sun, fields of blooming flowers, and a touch of wood. There’s more, though, I’m getting warm spices and ripe fruit which has just fallen from the tree. The finish is part fruit, part spice and goes on for about as long as you want it to.
To answer my initial question, I think it does deserve a bit more attention. While $54 may seem dear for a bit of a no-named, its summer-in-a-bottle feel is lovely. Perhaps not what I’d recommend for a beginners whisky cabinet, but for somewhat seasoned drinkers looking for something new and refreshing, try it out.
Color: Golden straw.
Nose: Grass, flowers, dry wood.
Palate: Drying grass, blooming flowers, touch of wood, warm spices and ripe fruit.
Want to buy this whisky? Available in: UK, Europe & World (click)
