The Distillery
The location chosen by John & Alexander Manson for their malt whisky distillery in 1797 was an obvious one. Oldmeldrum in the celebrated 'Valley of the Garioch' was named "The Granary of Aberdeenshire", famous for producing the finest barley in all of Scotland.
The distillery, which originally incorporated a brewery and tannery, stands on the very edge of the town Oldmeldrum in Aberdeenshire. The Garioch — pronounced 'Geery' — is a tract of richly fertile land, some 150 square miles (390 km2) in extent. The location is known as ‘the granary of Aberdeenshire’, where barley and crystal springs have been abundant for over a thousand years, so it is not surprising that Glen Garioch Distillery was established as early as 1794 — one of the oldest operating distilleries in Scotland.
In 1968 the production of Glen Garioch was suspended on account of 'chronic water shortages', however in 1972 a manager was appointed with a brief to find another water source. A spring was discovered on a neighbouring farm. It came to be called ‘The Silent Spring’ as it could neither be seen nor heard.
Leading with the 1797 Founders Reserve at the heart of the range, Glen Garioch will periodically release hand selected individual batches of stock at the peak of their perfection, aiming to demonstrate the quality and breadth of the Glen Garioch spirit. Launched as ‘Single Batch Releases’, the first will be the Glen Garioch 1990 Vintage and the Glen Garioch 1978 Vintage which will join the 1797 Founders Reserve.
It is operated by Morrison Bowmore Distillers, which is owned by the Japanese company Suntory. wikipedia
From their site
The perfect accompaniment to Parmigiano-Reggiano, our 12 Years Old binds the dryness of the cheese, which in return provides a platform for the malt’s sweet fruitiness and enhances its clean barley notes. Tasting Notes
Nose
The colour of sharp honey, on the nose heathery floral notes are balanced with the richness of poached pears and the sweetness of malted barley.
Palete
Crème brûlée and sweet ripe banana at first, then comes a light oakiness with pear fruitiness, leading to a long smooth, creamy and fragrant finish.
| Style | Single Malt Scotch |
| Region | Highland |
| Alcohol | 48% |
| Nose | 6/10 |
| Taste | 8/10 |
| Finish | 6/10 |
| Overall | 7/10 |
"Smells like duty free"
"Good vanilla hints"
"Definitely a Highland whiskey, no peat"
"A little bland on the Finish"
The smell is striking with alcohol, something hard to hide in a 48% yet it yields a surprisingly smooth taste