I'm always happy to see a Glen Elgin. This single ex-bourbon hogshead from The Whisky Exchange was distilled in 2008, left to mature for 13 years and then was bottled at 52.2%. You’ll find it over at the TWE website for £64.95.
Nose: Golden syrup is drizzled over orchard fruits (tart apples together with sweeter sliced pears). Banana bread and nut loaf are joined by chocolate covered digestives, whilst fudge character builds in the glass. The addition of water presents a more cereal/bakery-focussed profile with oatcakes, brioche and cookies that have been left in the oven just that little bit too long.
Taste: A melange of orchard and stone fruits (apple, pear and apricot) are greeted by palpable cask char, before milky filter coffee, toffee and a bowl of cereal are provided. Nutmeg and white pepper offer additional cask qualities alongside toasted oak. Reduction lessens the initial spicy/cask-led kick of the arrival – and it also expresses tangerine and apricot cobbler. Noice.
Finish: Medium with barley sugars, lingering orchard fruit juices and sustained char.
Longer-term readers will know that I have a real soft spot for Glen Elgin – despite its unassuming visage, it’s a high quality, characterful distillate. This Whisky Exchange single cask is no exception to that – offering an expectedly dependable, and always appealing selection of fruits and sweet treats. There’s more cask than I’d personally like here – and that manifests itself with spice and char throughout the palate. As such, I preferred this Glen Elgin just taken down a notch with a touch of dilution. Your mileage may vary though if you’re looking for something more spice-driven.
Review sample provided by The Whisky Exchange