It has been a while since Glen Garioch last appeared on More Drams, so it is time to return to the distillery with two independent bottlings with very different stages and types of maturation. First up is a young 2011 Glen Garioch from Cadenhead’s, followed by a much older 1998 release from Thompson Bros. The contrast should be especially interesting: the Cadenhead’s is a 12-year-old with a second maturation in a white port cask, while the Thompson Bros expression spent 27 years in a second-fill barrel.
Glen Garioch 2011 Cadenhead’s (2024) Review
Cadenhead’s Glen Garioch 2011 12-Year-Old Authentic Collection was distilled in 2011 and bottled in 2024 at 54.9% ABV. It is a 700 ml, 12-year-old Highland single malt selected and bottled by Wm Cadenhead’s for its Authentic Collection. The whisky began its maturation in a conventional cask and was transferred to a white Port hogshead in August 2020, where it completed its maturation before bottling. It is presented at natural cask strength, natural colour and without chill filtration. The cask gave 282 bottles, initially sold for around £55, but it’s almost sold out, with just one shop in the UK selling it for £60 before VAT.
Colour:
Burnished.
Nose:
Neat: The nose is vibrant, green and floral. Honeysuckle, clean linen, and crushed leaves form the aromatic setting. The port influence is unmistakable but unusual: musty green grapes, fizzy grape juice, green strawberries, and orange zest, rather than the conventional dark-berry sweetness from red port. Behind this bright, slightly funky cask character lie browned butter, poached pear, pastry dough and a talc-like mineral note.
With water: A few drops lower the green-grape acidity and expose more pear, honeyed pastry, vanilla and flowers.
Palate:
Neat: The palate is dense, warming and syrupy in texture. It starts with marzipan, toasted marshmallows, caramelised orchard fruit and browned butter, then turns into strawberry flavoured milk, white grapes, lemon and redcurrant jam. An unusual side emerges in layers: olive brine, subtle vegetal funk and a lactic sweetness coexist with industrial notes of pine shavings, machine oil, and tin.
With water: A small dilution brings more marzipan, pear, grape, pastry and strawberry-milk creaminess.
Finish:
Medium long, drying and more savoury than sweet. Green apple, tart white wine and lemon sherbet move into white pepper, herbal tea and cedar.
Comments:
A really lovely Glen Garioch with an unusual side: the White Port second maturation worked wonderfully, bringing additional layers of flavour and complexity without ruining the spirit under wood and excessive vinous notes, but layers you wouldn’t expect. Well done, Cadenhead.
Rating: 7/10
Glen Garioch 1998 Thompson Brothers (2025) Review
Next, we have a Glen Garioch 1998, 27 Year Old, bottled by the Thompson Bros (Phil and Simon) in 2025, from second-fill barrel #4670. It was distilled in 1998, bottled in 2025 at 53.8% ABV, with an outturn of 190 bottles, without chill filtration nor added colour. The cask was selected for the German market. This release seems unfortunately sold out.
Colour:
Deep gold.
Nose:
Neat: The nose is mature, sweet and cereal-rich, with yellow pear, apple and apricots. More exotic fruit appears in the background – mango, gooseberry and a hint of citrus peel. There’s a strong confectionery character: vanilla, shortbread and cookie dough, even a light nougat note. Honey sweetness builds on top of the buttery malt.
With water: Water moves the aroma toward citrus, vanilla, honey, butter pastry and fresher fruit, but careful not to overly dilute it.
Palate:
Neat: The palate is full-bodied, oily and creamy. It opens on honey, vanilla, butter, toffee, and white chocolate butter cookies, with a dense but not heavy sweetness. Shortbread, pastry dough, rye meal, yeast dough and cereal underscore the distillate’s malt-forward character. Fruit shifts from yellow pear, apple and honeydew into tropical accents: banana, mango, pineapple, apricots, nectarine and coconut water.
With water: A few drops make the palate creamier and rounder, bringing forward pear, vanilla, caramel, butter pastry, honey and fruit.
Finish:
The finish is medium long, warm and layered. Vanilla, butter, toffee, honey, pepper and oak recur, alongside ripe pear, apple, apricot and a lightly malty core. Freshness persists through citrus, graphite, cedar and a faintly herbal quality.
Comments:
This Glen Garioch 1998 from the Thompson Bros is a perfect example of how good Glen Garioch can be when properly matured in a good cask, not overly active, with proper time, letting the distillate show its true nature. It gets tropical, fruity, really complex, and let the malt shine instead of the wood. Superb whisky.