The Solstice was on 21st June – it’s now the 11th October, so I’m way past my sell-by-date on this one. Nevertheless, the bottle is still available via the Decadent Drinks website for £85. Two 1st fill barrels of 2011 Glen Garioch have been combined to create this edition of Equinox and Solstice. Bottling – as always for this series – is at 48.5% ABV.
Nose: Lively, crisp and somewhat grappa-like with a sense of grape spirit, Mirabelle, cooking apple and lemon verbena. All rather pure and distillate lead. In support – pancake batter, pressed flowers and ripe golden barley. The addition of water offers underripe green bananas and cookie dough alongside clay and putty.
Taste: Notable weight – sunflower oil. Barley and grist lead into drops and again grappa, whilst cut reeds and hot house vines join angelica, blondie biscuits and a tangy chiselled background minerality. Reduction produces a syrupy texture with golden syrupy and white grape juice sitting with hay, barley sugar, choc and a touch of char.
Finish: Medium. Both citric and vegetal – think lemon cake together with sappy leafiness.
There’s no modern cask foolery going on with this highly spirit-forward Glen Garioch. And whilst in some cases that would leave a rather naked and exposed distillate – here, the underlying quality of Glen Garioch (which in my opinion is not seen nearly enough) shines through throughout. Ingredient-led and is very easy to like.
Review sample provided by Decadent Drinks