Glen Garioch 19 year old 2003 SMWS 19.76

Oooooh, now the barrels are 19 years old. Ancient. Anyhoo, I should start these remaining GG03 single cask posts with a score tracker...

SMWS for Highland Whisky Festival 2022: 90

SMWS 19.59, "Dates and Staves": 88

SMWS 19.71, "Mad Wax: Fruity Load!": 89

SMWS 19.73,  "A silky-smooth melody": 87

I don't normally throw around scores like that. These are, in fact, B+/A- whiskies, and the world is a bit short on B+/A- whiskies. Can these sibling casks keep up this quality? Today's GG03 has a great ABV, but an unpromising cask name...

Distillery: Glen Garioch
Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Eastern Highlands

Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 19 years (17 February 2003 - 2022)
Maturation: first-fill bourbon barrel
Cask #: 19.76, "A utopia of bananas and muffins"
Outturn: 191 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 52.7%
(from a paid event)

NEAT

Apple peels, roses, pecans, and star anise meet the nose first, followed by oyster crackers in vegetable broth. This group's first real sign of oak appears, but it's more of a toasty style than charred. The palate comes in peppery, sweet, tangy, and very acidic. Mostly limes and hot sauce with a hint of vanilla. Thankfully the acidity mellows in the finish, and the limes and lemons are tart and sweet.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or < 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

While the nose simplifies to vanilla marshmallows and orange creamsicles, the palate takes on more complexity. Though there's sweetness and vanilla aplenty, guavas, limes, roasted almonds, and jute provide needed facets. It finishes sweetly as a sort of guava-lime-vanilla candy.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Well hello, American oak. Welcome to the Glen Garioch party. Now if you could just make yourself scarce after this, I'd be much obliged.

Thankfully the fruit, flowers, and the occasional unconventional note hold off the encroaching Quercus alba. But this one did start to tilt toward a more contemporary style than the previous four. Dilution made it more pleasant, but also a bit sugary. No bananas to be found, 💛.

Next week, two more 19-year-old barrels...

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 84

Glen Garioch 18 year old 2003 SMWS 19.73

The 17/2/2003 SMWS Glen Gariochs keep going and keep shining! Clearly the stills were rocking that day, but where were these first-fill barrels from? With Beam Suntory in charge of the distillery, the barrels could have previously held Knob Creek, Booker's, Baker's, Basil Hayden, Makers, or regular ol' Beam. No matter what, I'm already much more interested in teenage bourbon barrel Glen Gariochs than I was before.

Today's single barrel has a strength and outturn similar to Tuesday's, so I tried them side-by-side. How identical were the whisky results?

Distillery: Glen Garioch
Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Eastern Highlands

Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 18 years (17 February 2003 - 2021?)
Maturation: first-fill bourbon barrel
Cask #: 19.73, "A silky-smooth melody"
Outturn: 222 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 53.7%
(from a paid event)

NEAT

"Fermenty/Fruity" reads my first nose note. Pineapple, mango, orange juice, and cloves on top. Sugar cookies fill the middle (do they not?), and a yeasty, bready character arrives later in the background. The palate nearly matches the nose at first with yeast, citrus, and sugar cookies. It progresses towards tart and malt with time. It finishes sweet, tart, and malty, with a minty curlicue in the back.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

It's as if the yeast has something else to say once the whisky is reduced. The nose is funkier now, with less fruit and more flowers, as well as industrial and aged cheese notes ascending from below. The palate reads more complex than the nose, with a balance of tart + sweet + bitter + salt, and plenty of citrus. Oranges, lemons, and a little bit of herbal bitterness finish it off.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though spirit-forward like the others, this cask went its own path. It's the least "silky-smooth" one so far, plenty fruity, slightly hot, and a bit weird at times. This '03 Glen Garioch is the least complete of the first four, seeming like it could have used another 5-10 years in the warehouse to finish its journey toward becoming something remarkable. But I still adore its style, and would be happy to own a bottle.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 87

Glen Garioch 18 year old 2003 SMWS 19.71

Back to the Glen Garioch run!

To recap: SMWS obtained a large parcel of (at least three dozen?) first-fill bourbon barrels filled with Glen Garioch spirit distilled on the 17th of February 2003. I got my meat hooks into seven of these whiskies and the first two were great!

This one, named "Mad Wax: Fruity Load!" (mmhmm) by SMWS, arrives with a lighter ABV and a higher outturn than 19.59, thus the angels sought inebriation over hydration. But how's the whisky?

Distillery: Glen Garioch
Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Eastern Highlands

Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 18 years (17 February 2003 - 2021?)
Maturation: first-fill bourbon barrel
Cask #: 19.71, "Mad Wax: Fruity Load!" [Editor's note: 🙁]
Outturn: 230 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 54.4%
(from a paid event)

NEAT

More of the country style in the nose, huzzah! Hay, oats, apple peels, lemon peels, and a mineral Austrian Riesling (snob!). Hints of honey and brine, and okay maybe a little bit of hot wax. Oh, such barley on the palate. Some baked phyllo dough and witbier. Pickled ginger with sweet citrus. Limoncello and brown sugar. It finishes with a little combo of tingly citrus, pickled ginger, and witbier.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Pears, apples, orange blossoms, and malt on the nose. The palate's become simpler, but crisp. A bright herbal bitterness blends flawlessly with clementines and toasted barley. The finish matches the palate, especially with that bitterness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Wow. I know this style isn't a cash magnet, but it works wonders for my face. The first-fill barrels are very understated, and the spirit gleams. The way the casks keep all the lovely rustic youth while silencing the rawness makes me want to try the Oldmeldrum distillery's new make. And there are still four more of these to go...

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 89

Bourbon and Rye Day Friday: Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye, 132 US Proof batch

(The Royal) We interrupt this Glen Garioch programming to bring you one hot BARD Friday.

Alberta Distillers Limited (ADL), is like the MGP of the North by Northwest, essentially one huge factory cranking out rye spirit that everyone wants to steal bottle. In 2019 they started releasing their own stash at frighteningly combustible strengths. And just in time to fight Covid-19, the rye reached the US border in 2020, in a batch flexing 66%abv. Yes, that's 2/3s poison.

I tried it in 2021, orally. I survived, but it did not keep the coronavirus from invading my borders twice. As far as flavors, it wasn't terrible. In fact it was worryingly drinkable. Now I'm sitting down in the safety of my home to consume two ounces.

source

Brand: Alberta Premium

Distillery: Alberta Distillers Limited

Location: Alberta, Canada

Type: Rye whisky

Mashbill: 100% Rye

Maturation: "charred oak"

Alcohol by Volume: 66%

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The rye's nose (and my nose) goes through three phases. Phase One: Roasted corn, hazelnuts, and wet sand. Phase Two: Candy corn and spiced rum. Phase Three: Lemon peels, wet dog fur, and flower blossoms. The palate is indeed hot, but not numbing. It's candy sweet, with a sprinkle of salt, a bit of barrel char, and plenty of lemons. Lots of sweet oranges roll into the finish, with hints of mint and pine in the back.

It shines most in a Manhattan (2:1 Rye:Carpano) Cocktail, bringing a pepper sauce spiciness and lots of tart citrus, unique in my experience.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

With a kinda weird, kinda nifty nose, and an approachable palate, this big Canadian can be sipped neatly in a Glencairn glass. I can't say I'd want to drink it all the time, as it's neither particularly rich nor fulfilling, though it could serve to numb one's brain if desired. But its Manhattan was really fun, and I'd certainly buy a bottle of it for that purpose, but not at $80, LOL 🙁. If dropping four score for cocktail booze doesn't ruffle your feathers, go for it!

Availability - North America
Pricing - 70-90USD
Rating - 82 (but mostly for cocktails!)

Glen Garioch 18 year old 2003 SMWS 19.59

A true sibling whisky of Monday's wonderful small batch, with all barrels carrying spirit distilled on February 17, 2003, today's Glen Garioch is a single cask release, one first-fill ex-bourbon bottled by the SMWS. At 59.8%abv, it's the drunkest of SMWS's 30+ sibling Garioch casks so far. Gimme gimme gimme.

source

Distillery: Glen Garioch
Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Eastern Highlands

Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 18 years (17 February 2003 - 2021)
Maturation: first-fill bourbon barrel
Cask #: 19.59, "Dates and Staves"
Outturn: 202 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 59.8%
(from a paid event)

NEAT

On the nose, a layer of toasted barley and candied pecans rests upon earth and hay. Time teases out notes of jasmine and vanilla bean later on. The palate starts with salty roasted almonds, umami (dried mushroom), and tart citrus. Hints of dried peaches, dried leaves, and hay highlight the background. It finishes with an even mix of tart, salt, and savory. A little bit of earthy smoke here, a dried peach there.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

It's a completely different whisky now, with key lime pie, orange peels, and carob on the nose. The palate is earthy and salty, with lots of walnuts and very tart citrus. It's all citrus (tart and bitter) in the finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Another great one from the 17th of February 2003. This is shaping up to be a hell of a parcel. There's a tiny bit more oak, and maybe slightly less cohesion, than Monday's whisky, but that one had the benefit of being a small batch, this barrel had to stand on its own. The palate, neat or diluted, may have been my favorite part with its tart fruits, earth, salt, and savoriness. I'm ready for the next five!

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 88

Glen Garioch 18 year old 2003 SMWS for Highland Whisky Festival 2022

I ended March with a quartet of Benrinnes releases that were all distilled on the same day. How about I one-up (or rather three-up) that by closing out April with seven Glen Garioch whiskies all distilled on the same day, and released by the same company?

That was a rhetorical question because I'm going to do it anyway.

Dozens of Glen Garioch casks containing whisky distilled on the 17th of February 2003, were likely purchased by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in one large parcel, once upon a time. I was able to source seven of these whiskies thanks to a paid online tasting opportunity last month. The virtual event was co-hosted by SMWS Ambassador, Alan Wood, but I went sober for it because my daughters were staying with me.

The first of these whiskies is the rare SMWS whisky without a special cask coding (but with a fanciful name) because it was a multi-cask release for 2022's Highland Whisky Festival:

pic pilfered from Whiskybase

Distillery: Glen Garioch
Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Eastern Highlands

Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 18 years (17 February 2003 - 2022?)
Maturation: 5 or 6 first-fill bourbon barrels
Cask #: "Hazelnut Bubble Gum"
Outturn: 1128 bottles

Exclusive to: Highland Whisky Festival 2022
Alcohol by Volume: 55.6%
(from a paid event)

NEAT

A bright spring note, like a field of wildflowers, hits the nose first, followed by toasted cashews, fresh apples, dried apricots, and fresh cream. Barley and yeast linger in the back. The palate, "lovely" per my notes, is a swirl of barley, lemons, grapefruits, blossoms, and just a hint of sweetness. The grapefruits gain ground with time. It finishes with tart apples, orange gummies, and a whiff of smoke.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose focuses on lime zest, orange peels, and green apple peels. Tart limes and tart apples balance gorgeously with sweet oranges, malt, and the hint of soil in the palate. It concludes with orange blossoms, lime juice, and barley.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though I've likely used the word "rustic" to describe Glen Garioch before, I'm going to do so again. Can such a rustic jewel come from a single cask, or does it require the sort of balance that comes from a tiny batch of barrels? The laziest batch of barrels, may I add gratefully. It's the sort of whisky one could spoil with attention all spring and summer...which would probably require multiple bottles.

Is this the prize-winner of the group, or is it a sign of things to come? I dearly hope it's the latter.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 90

Bourbon and Rye Day Friday: Jews & Booze 6 year old MGP bourbon, barrel 420

SPOILER ALERT: This is one of the best privately selected bourbons I've ever owned, not because of things 420 related, nor because it was selected by fellow nerdy Jews, but because of its fruitiness. This is why all the NDPs need to put DISTILLED IN INDIANA in bold, italics, and underlined CAPS on their bottles' front labels. At least as of six years ago, Midwest Grain Products was still cranking out the good shit.

For some reason I took only one photo of the bottle (see further below), so I just now took a pic of the labels:

Yes, I officially tasted this on 4/20. No, there was nothing else in my system before or after consuming the bourbon. Other than some pulled pork and ice cream.

Distillery: Midwest Grain Products

Type: Straight bourbon

Location: Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Exclusive to: Jews and Booze (private group)
Mash Bill: 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
Age: 6 years, 1 month

Bottle #: 45
ABV: 57.6% ABV

(from the bottom third of my bottle)

Fruit dominates the nose. First cherries and plums, then peaches and orange blossoms. Some Juicy Fruit gum too. Cinnamon and toffee decorate the background. Lemon candy, cherry juice, and salted pistachios highlight the palate, with a little bit of bubblegum and heat. It finishes with honey, lemons, orange blossoms, cinnamon, and burst of mint leaf.

It even works on the rocks (especially on an 80ºF day), with tart limes, tart raspberries, and sweet cherries leading the way.

Readers of this blog may know that bourbon is not my go-to drink. But this bourbon was, for much of the summer and fall of 2022, my go-to drink. In fact, I wish I'd purchased two or three bottles. It's just sweet enough without getting too sugary, and it's not too hot for my sensitive palate. And the fruit. The fruit! And now it's all gone. But I do anticipate more J and B barrel picks showing up on BARD Fridays this year.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ??
Rating - 88