Glen Elgin with Moscatel and Dutch bitterballen
On a pleasantly gentle Friday night in June 2026, I had checked into my apartment on Speyside and had time to spare. So I drove out into the countryside, just hopping from the one distillery to the other, snapping some pictures for my blog. One of these sites I visited was the Glen Elgin Distillery. Surprisingly, I got locations mixed up in the head, as I always believed Glen Elgin was much closer to the actual City of Elgin. Instead, it is further south, passing Benriach and Longmorn on the way. Inside the city, the actual true City of Elgin distilleries are Linkwood and Glen Moray. But okay, we know glens are long in Scotland, so we can accept the namegiving of Glen Elgin. As I found it, the location had a beautiful old feeling to it, its rural location breathing in and out with birds singing and water from the wormtubs trickling somewhere. The road passes right through the distillery grounds, and I did snap some pictures. Make sure you check out more information on Glen Elgin on a previous blog I did, about the rare Flora & Fauna bottling. In the meantime, we taste two independently bottled expressions.
Glen Elgin 2011, 14 years old, bottled at 54,4 % abv by Berry Bros & Rudd
First things first: A masochistically dark whisky in the glass here, this Glen Elgin was distilled in 2011 and bottled in 2026 but not before receiving a Moscatel finish. Cask # 803630 produced 301 bottles for the BB&R Friends The Netherlands.
Upon Sipping: Are we very sure this is not a 100 % maturation on Moscatel? Because the sherry is VERY present on the nose. Lots and lots of raisins, cherries, some wood smoke which I like, but mostly … Moscatel. Where has the whisky gone? Taking a sip, the sweetness is so strong that it makes my tastebuds contract. The finish is however very rough, bordering on rubbery notes, and a lot of spicy power courtesy of alcohol flames. With water, a big load of sulphur is released, but not totally bad. It turns into the Moroccan spice market soon after. On the palate, the sweetness is somewhat more contained now, but the herbal, chocolatey side of this wine – excuse me, whisky – is now more overwhelming. The finish is rubbery dry now.
Word to the Wise: What can I say? That this is Glen Elgin whisky is only anecdotal. The Moscatel does all the talking and I would rather have it shut up, to be honest. Earlier I tried a Williamson by BBR, also on Moscatel, and there I also was not convinced. As it stands, this is good Moscatel with a fierce alcohol kick.
Score: 80 points.
Glen Elgin 22 years old, vintage 2004, bottled at 54,5 % abv by Thompson Brothers
First things first: Distilled on 10 March 2004 and bottled in July 2026 with a special “bitterballen” label by the Thompson Brothers. With mustard no less. This refill bourbon hogshead produced 274 bottles, again, for the Dutch market.
Upon Sipping: Let’s be brutally honest here, the last thing you should do with Glen Elgin is drown it in an overpowering cask. Then you just do not get what Glen Elgin whisky is about. This malt carries a lot of soul of true Speyside, and you want to let it shine, like this bottling so clearly does. On the nose, you feel like walking into the orchard for some simple apples, but in the distance you start to notice more exotic fruits. Stonefruits, golden kiwi (skin perhaps), some apricot, lots of vanilla. The sturdy spirit of Glen Elgin is not completely tamed here, resulting in hints of copper coins. On the tongue you could well imagine a hint of spiciness from a rough French mustard, but this could be the power of suggestion. Pumpernickel bread, dry barley, hints of bitter oak notes. With just a few drops of water, this Glen Elgin at respectable age blooms up quite nicely. Stronger fruit notes, mirabelles, apples and just a touch of sunflower oil. The taste is now sweeter, edging closer to the vanilla notes, and the mouthfeel is definitely more oily, with a slightly hot finish. That’s good, as I did not write any impression down on the finish before.
Word to the Wise: Just like a Dutch bitterball, it is crunchy crust on the outside and hot ragout on the inside for this Glen Elgin! Very Speyside, but I would have loved more impact from the 22 years in the cask. The sweetness on the palate is however very satisfying.
Score: 86 points.