Glen Moray Distillery Exclusive

The Bottle Your Own scene seems to be everywhere these days and although most distilleries are strict on you only getting a bottle when visiting the distillery some will be friendly and bottle you one up if you ask nicely..

Glen Moray is one of those distilleries and although some argue whats the point? I argue it isnt always about the experience, its about the whisky and for me this is an opportunity to get my hands on a single cask, cask strength bottle that is obviously limited to the one cask.

The beauty of doing this is i also get an insight into the distillery by obtaining different single casks that tell their own story and not the general vatting of however many casks that make up a pre determined flavour profile associated with the core range..

The bottle your own series at Glen Moray consists of 3 options. two are priced at £55 and are always one un-peated expression and one peated, then there is a premium version priced at £99… £99 for an older, single cask, cask strength bottle of whisky is a no brainer too..

2007 Virgin Oak Finish – Glen Moray

Distillery.. Glen Moray

Region.. Speyside

Age.. 13/14 years

Distilled.. 2007

Bottled.. 07-07-2021

ABV.. 54%

Cask.. 1st fill Bourbon – Virgin oak

This is part of the BYO – Distillery exclusive at Glen Moray Distillery

Nose.. At first this is full of Vanilla, toffee and honey notes but then it turns into a musty dunnage warehouse aroma that screams old library, earthy notes and old leather, mix a little chocolate and candied orange and you have a very inviting nose indeed.

Palate.. Full on spices and musty notes emerge.. There is a real ginger / pepper heat to start this before some fruits emerge and a little sweetness. Oak tannins, coffee bean and bitter chocolate are very evident with some sweetness from vanilla, toffee and honey although the honey notes are more subdued on the palate.

Finish.. Spices linger

Thoughts.. This is rather tasty and feels like it could have had a little more time within the virgin oak in order to gather a little more but that is just my taste and might just have become a little too oaky for the majority if anything..

Within this there is a nice complexity and plenty of balance with enough of that first cask still showing through the Virgin oak or new oak as it is labelled..

A cracking expression from the distillery and something that wont last long.