Douglas Laing Glen Mhor Tasting Notes

Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Mhor 1982 (30 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2216/ DL9183

Dist: Aug 1982 Btl: Oct 2012/ Tasted: Nov 2012

A wonderfully mature nose of piquant dried fruit, coffee, old polished wood, dried herbs and sweet barley. The nose does have a bit of an alcohol prickle which is entwined with a light citrus note. However the balance between maturity and freshness is stunning.

The palate opens with some light orange and lime with hints of old wood and gently oxidised fruit. Seriously mature with the middle being a battleground for the wood notes, brown sugar and spices. Beautifully complex and long with a touch of midnight violets, malt and a light peat intimation. Just like the nose the balance between maturity and fresh is stunning. It’s a pity it’s all sold out!

MacPhail’s Glen Mhor Tasting Notes

Gordon & MacPhail ‘Rare Old Highland Malt’ Glen Mhor 15 year old 40%

Re-fill (?) Sherry/ Tasted: Mar 2005

A clean pronounced aromas of refill sherry fruit, dried fruit, nuts, xmas cake. Good complexity with some oak vanillins and crystallised orange fruit. Medium bodied, with the palate mirroring the nose –  refill sherry flavours, dried fruit, oak vanillins and citrus orange fruit. Good length.

Duncan Taylor Glen Mhor Tasting Notes

Duncan Taylor Rarest of the Rare Glen Mhor 1975 (30 year old) 52.8%

Bourbon Cask 4030/ Dist: 1975 Btl: 2005/ Tasted: Mar2005

The nose displays some oily, spicy fruit with hints of orange and pepper. Some old honeyaromas push through and beneath lies some tired oak. The palate is frankly dirty, tannic, vapid, with no depth, character or redeeming feature.

Water turns the nose into nail varnish remover and doesn’t do much for the palate either! It’s dead! I doubt that this cask was ever any good at all!

Duncan Taylor Rarest of the Rare Glen Mhor 1975 (32 year old) 42.6%

Sherry Cask 4031/ Dist: Dec 1975 Btl: May 2007/ Tasted: July 2007

Rich aromas of sherried orange fruit, dusty dried spices and coffee. Luxurious and mature with plenty of malty-fruit notes. A seriously impressive nose. Soft, oily and mature on the palate. A touch restrained but very focused. Mainly cask orientated with sherried fruit and a touch of coffee, chocolate and old leather. Well balanced with the spirit never overwhelmed and a lovely grilled nut finish.

Dewar Rattray Glen Mhor Tasting Notes

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Glen Mhor 1982 (26 year old) 55.4%

Bourbon Cask 1216/ Dist: Aug 1982 Btl: Jun 2009/ Tasted: July 2009

A rich, woody, spicy nose of a multitude of candy coated orange fruits along with some sherry character. There’s some obvious maturity with notes of floor polish and aged honey, but it doesn’t exactly blow me away.

The palate is pleasant and oily with pure orange oil and toasted vanilla, leading into a wood spice and alcoholic middle. Finally finishing with a candied, slightly honeyed fruit. Lovely crumbly spice after taste.

A drop of water opens the nose up. It’s much more appealing now with the orange fruit taking on a lovely perfumed sheen. It also keeps the rampaging wood notes in check. On the palate however it has lost its intensity and become very candied. Almost like drinking sugar-water.