Middle of the road Glentauchers in the glass
Glentauchers is one of the main contributors to the Ballentine’s blended Scotch, and several other brands I am sure. As a single malt, it has quite the reputation as well, making a very decent albeit somewhat modest spirit. Especially at an older age, the whisky reveals a very interesting character. I have to admit that I was never the biggest fan, always finding myself surprised again and again by the quality, when tasting a new expression. These come our way via independent bottlers mostly. Today, we taste two Glentauchers that were bottled quite a few years ago, but are exemplary of the general style of this distillery.
Glentauchers 14 years old, vintage 1997, bottled at 57 % abv by the Usquebaugh Society
First things first: A vintage 1997 from single cask # 3798 was bottled in a quantity of 190 pieces after being selected by the members of the Dutch Usquebaugh Society in 2012.
Upon Sipping: I was a member of the board of the Usquebaugh Society at the time of selection, but due to personal reasons I missed the tasting in which this Glentauchers was chosen. It defeated a Clynelish and a Deanston (I think), which indicates something. The cask samples came from David Stirk stock. Nice, oily spirit to swirl around in the glass, with a burst of vanilla scent rising from it. There is definitely more fruit in there, but the abv hides it a little too much. We will return to that with the pipette. The mouthfeel is delightfully creamy, without it getting too sticky. There is a nice balance between darker wood tones and a brighter fruity style. Complex for sure, but well within the bourbon matured spectrum. This is not unlike what the most Archives bottlings taste like. With water it turns fragile, with a nice whiff of petrichor, before falling back in line with vanilla and wet moss. Hints of boiling sun flower oil, right before you put in the meat. The taste is lighter, but loses some of its charm.
Word to the Wise: Very decent, nothing spectacular, and very spirit driven. Things we look for in the enjoyment of the distillery character. I think this bottling underlines perfectly why Glentauchers is such an appreciated provider for blended Scotch.
Score: 85 points.
Glentauchers 16 years old. vintage 2006, bottled at 58,6 % abv by Gordon & MacPhail
First things first: Distilled on 2 May 2006 and matured in a refill bourbon barrel until it was bottled on 18 May 2022 for Whiskybase 15th Anniversary. Cask # 703712 produced 222 bottles in the Connoisseurs Choice – Cask Strength range.
Upon Sipping: This should be a nice comparison with the first sample, almost all parameters the same, except a few more years in the cask. This one has a more enticing nose, that’s for sure, with more wood spices and cinnamon. It seems the spirit got more breathing space from the cask here. On the tongue, it is a bit more rough edged compare to the Usquebaugh-expression, and the burn on the tongue is undeniable. Water cools it down a little, but takes away too much sting at the same time. More bitter notes start to dominate because of that. The finish remains a little messy, even though the fire has successfully put out. The cinnamon makes a welcome return.
Word to the Wise: It started promising on the nose, but turned more inconsistent as we went along with tasting. Falls a bit behind the Usquebaugh bottle, but just a little. Perhaps this one is a bit too mundane to be in this range.
Score: 84 points.