Glenturret Triple Wood

The Glenturret Triple Wood tasting notes

The Glenturret these days is owned by the Lalique Group since 2019 and it shows in the current presentation of the products. Beautiful bottles for Scotland’s official oldest distillery. Out from under the wings of names that used to be in one group together, like The Macallan, Highland Park and Glenrothes, this age-old distillery can now shine on its own. Where the name was before also synonymous with The Famous Grouse blend, The Glenturret takes more and more solo spotlight. 

Glenturret Triple Wood, 2023 edition, bottled at 43 % abv

First things first: Maturation in European and American oak casks that held sherry (for seasoning), as well as American oak bourbon casks. Much like other brands who use the same recipe, “Triple Wood” is more or less a fancy way of saying that a bunch of casks of all sorts were thrown together. 

Upon Sipping: The nose opens strong on a seductive array of toffee, caramel and milk chocolate. The bottling strength of this Glenturret really pays off, if you ask me. Very fragrant, fruity, and a feeling of a mature whisky in the glass even though there is no age statement. Some red apples fight for attention on repeated sniffing, but the light and sticky chocolate notes remain dominant. On the palate, one has to struggle through a very woody flavour, making this a spicy entry. Here I wish some more toffee from the nose was transferred to the palate as well. For such an elegant whisky, in presentation and aroma, the taste buds do not get spoiled. A young whisky after all? Only after a few repeated sips do you get more softness from vanilla and very light ginger. The finish reminds me of a Ceylon blend tea, which makes this a very British experience. 

Word to the Wise: The Glenturret comes in a beautiful decanter bottle and can give other “look at me drinking fancy Scotch” brands like The Macallan or older expressions of Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet a run for its money. But the whisky itself is also quite alright. The palate is the weak spot, but since this is the NAS expression, I wonder if the age stated Glenturrets are offering more. One has to take into account then that this Triple Wood is quite friendly priced, in contrast with for instance a new 14 years old that will cost you 200 pounds. That is ambitious pricing. 

Score: 81 points