We’ve had a few SMWS bottlings from Glen Moray recently – this one is a bit different as its been matured for 10 years in a 1st fill wine barrique. Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits profile.
Nose: Immediately deep and rich, packed full of toffee, cold-brew coffee, molasses and reduced blackfruits and berries. There’s some chocolate and cake here so we’re well into Black Forest gateaux territory. Fruit and nut cereal as well as allspice and cloves provide additional interesting aromas. The addition of water added some musty spices – cinnamon in particular, as well as hints of tanned leather.
Taste: Rather greenhouse – ripe fruits (apples, pears and gooseberries) – alongside some vegetable flavours (bell peppers). Puff pastry and water crackers are joined by strong ground black pepper and a pronounced winey flavour in the mid to back palate – with red wine usually comes tannins, and this is no exception to that rule. Water improves things, diminishing tannins, and adding balance whilst allowing the black fruits to shine alongside sugared elements – rum raisins and demerara.
Finish: Medium, quite sweet, quite drying and quite tannic – spiced plums, burnt caramel and sappy oak.
Whilst this Glen Moray is not quite fatale-ly flawed, there’s a fine line between balanced red wine influence and an overabundance of wood tannins – to my taste this crosses that line, becoming very grippy and moisture sucking. It’s certainly bold and there’s a marked and interesting difference between the nose and the palate, but when a whisky’s character necessitates dilution you’ve really got to question the cask selection. Hide the rabbit, this is more Fatal Attraction.