From the last episode of the Online Whisky Show, where we travelled around Speyside with Andrea and Giuseppe from Milano Whisky Festival, we bring to your attention a Glen Moray with no age statement, aged in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in Chardonnay barrels. The recipe, as stated above, would leave us a little puzzled… but we have been to the distillery in May 2018, and there we could taste a really nice and convincing ex-Chardonnay single cask: so, why not? This bottling, part of the Glen Moray base range, is reduced to 40%.
N: as often with Glen Morays around 40%, the alcohol tends to “shout” a little too much, curiously, and it takes some time to get through this trench. When we finally get into enemy territory, a very ripe yellow fruit slowly opens, between peach and yellow apple. We could also find something more sugary, like fruit jelly candies (precisely citrus fruit jelly), milk sandwich bread, vanilla. Here and there a glimpse of acidity appears, a very vinous (come on guys at WF, you could have tried a little harder); this winey character does not help the fruity notes to emerge, at all.
P: dry winey notes dominate the scene, in a palate that is overall a bit thin in structure and a little too alcoholic. There are sweet tones of freshly baked buttery brioche and ripe yellow fruit (canned pineapple); almond paste too. The second half of the palate, on the other hand, tends to get a little bitter and woody: cocoa bean, dried fruit, fresh wood.
F: dried fruit, still fresh wood and butter; dried coconut. A lot of bitter almond. Rather long.
This whisky is far from the amazing single cask we drunk in the distillery’s café, and that’s for sure, but it is not even as tremendous as somebody states. The presence of the wine cask is intrusive, especially in the first part of the palate; but the nose is really inviting, with well integrated wood and distillate notes and a large exuberant fruit. Overall, a whisky that is not-unforgettable, but worthy of a sip: vote 80/100.
Recommended soundtrack: Tina Turner – We don’t need another hero.
