2017 was a special year for Glen Moray as they celebrated the 120th anniversary, so it was only fitting that Master Distiller and Distillery manager Graham Coull sould come up with something a little special in order to celebrate in style..

Hence the birth of Glen Moray Mastery, created using Bourbon matured whisky from the 70’s, Port finished whisky from the 80’s, Madeira matured whisky from the 90’s and 00’s and finally Sherry casks from the 90’s this whisky certainly comes with a reputation and expectation of something very fine indeed.

The Distillery now under the watchful eye of Graham Coull boasts only 5 Master Distillers have overseen the whisky in the 120 years of production.

( Picture courtesy of Glen Moray)

The first spirit ran on the 13th September 1897 after the original operation, namely the Elgin West Brewery which had operated since 1830 producing local ales ceased and according to the handwritten ledger, spirit flowed before being filled into a multitude of casks including Sherry, Chardonnay and Port casks, a tradition that Graham still upholds today.

This Glen Moray Mastery as mentioned contains whisky from 4 different styles of whisky maturation and has been bottled at 52.3%, with an outturn of only 1000 bottles.. This is NCF and naturally coloured.

Nose.. A delicious sweetness engulfs the senses with vanilla, caramel,  chocolate, plums pudding, dates and coffee grinds..  Soft floral notes along with a gentle hint of spices finish this off in style.

Palate.. A little more spice shows before a fruity side takes a bow.. The chocolate notes mingle with the coffee, gentle oak and the finest Madagascan Vanilla ice cream..

Finish.. Spices are the lasting impression.

Thoughts..  No surprise that I find this whisky rather good, the price tag is a hefty £800 per bottle and I am sure some will argue that it is hard to justify that but taking the price tag away the whisky is damn good. There is a luxurious feel to the whole package and as soon as you pour this into the glass you inherit the wonderful aromas concealed within the bottle, the sense of having something special hits you instantly and once you take a sip it’s not hard to get lost in the moment..

This is certainly not a whisky to be rushed, find somewhere quiet, put the “Do not disturb “ sign on the door and enjoy the journey..