The Spirit of Art Glen Ord Tasting Notes

The Spirit of Art Glen Ord 2006(?) 14 year old 57.6%

Bourbon/ Dist: 2006(?) Btl: 2020/ Tasted Nov 2020

Intially the nose is dense, oily and barley;d with burnt toffee. The lightly astringent and ascetic green fruit takes over and makes the nose feel rather raw, there’s also a slight soapiness.

The palate opens dense, oily and nutty but like the nose it feels rather raw and slightly industrial. A touch of oak sweetens but the finish is masked, although there is some green fruit, green barley, vanilla and citrus. All told the palate feels somewhat disjointed.

Water doesn’t make much change to the nose, possibly the barley notes are a little sweeter. On the palate it brings out a touch of spice and emphasises the creamy oak. Still pretty simple but less raw.

Highland Laird Glen Ord Tasting Notes

Highland Laird Glen Ord 2010 (8 year old) 61.6%

Bartles Rawlings International

Bourbon Hogshead 11/ Dist: 2010 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Jun 2018

The nose displays a smoky Mezcal-like character, which is a little unusual for Ord, along with some intense oak char, gooseberry, lime and barley. The sweetness of the barley and a touch of honey balance. With time hints of straw, apple and alcohol!

The palate is quite rich and barley’d. Lightly oiled with hints of apricot, apple, straw and sweet honey. The alcohol, although high is well contained. The finish is a little masked with lingering citrus, earth and charred oak.

A drop of water opens the nose beautifully, bringing a real juiciness to the citrus (lime, lemon, tangerine) along with a slight sugar coating. The oak has become creamy and buttery and creamy. The palate is soft and buttery, but like the nose wonderfully citric. The middle has filled out well and showcases the barley, honey, lemon, lime and oak. Long, juicy and vanilla’d with hints of sweet rummy fruit and spice.

Hunter Laing Glen Ord Tasting Notes

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Ord 2004 (12 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/Code: OMC2606/ HL12812

Dist: Sept 2004 Btl: Oct 2016/ Tasted: Dec 2016

The nose is quite heavy and oily with dense barley, vanilla oak and apricot. Slightly herbal and toffee’d with developing Amontillado-esque nutty, oxidised fruit notes.

The palate is dense, slightly oily and nutty with apricot, barley and oak. Quite herbal on the middle and a little hot, grainy and biting on the finish

Carn Mor Glen Ord Tasting Notes

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Glen Ord 2012 (6 year old) 46%

Bourbon Barrel/ Dist:2012  Btl: 2019/ Tasted: Jun 2019

Lovely aromas of sweet vanilla oak and bubblegummy white fruit. Quite fresh and fruity for an Ord and instead of being heavy and oily it becomes juicy and estery with apricot and peach along with a touch of unsweetened pineapple and honeysuckle.

The palate is slightly oilier with white fruit, barley. Subtle malty notes come through on the middle and the oils and waxy fruit notes develop to give it more weight and richness. Good length with lingering barley, oak, pepper and a touch of rose petal.

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Glen Ord 2009 (7 year old) 46%

Bourbon Hogshead/ Dist: 2009 Btl: 2016/ Tasted: Sept 2016

The nose is quite oily and barley’d with a very dense, solid character. Hints of toasted toffee and rye-like herbs follow along with some edgy citrus and a little honey.

The palate mirrors the nose. Dense and oily with a touch of toffee. Some crisp citrus notes come through but the weight of barley and honey holds. Subtly herbal on the middle leading into a long, very spicy finish with lingering herbal barley and a touch of bittering oak.

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Glen Ord 2012 (8 year old) 47.5%

Bourbon Barrel/ Dist: 2012 Btl: 2021/ Tasted: June 2021

An oily but fragrant nose of honeysuckle and vanilla. The oak grips a little but some gooseberry, barley and white fruit notes appear.

The palate is fresh and citric with apricot, barley, honeysuckle, granulated sugar and vanilla. Sometime Ord can be a bit too oily for its own good, but here the oiliness is subtle and integrated. Beautifully balanced, medium length with lingering barley, vanilla and gentle oiled fruit. It has to rank as possibly the best Ord I’ve tasted in ages.

 

Douglas McGibbon Glen Ord Tasting Notes

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Glen Ord 2004 (7 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: PRV0747/ DMG7644

Dist Sept 2004 Btl: Oct 2011/ Tasted: Oct 2011

The nose is quite Alsace-eque and full with soft, white pear and peach balanced by a very fresh citrus note. Quite gristy with a late spice note.

The palate is quite sweet and gristy, again with plenty of citrus and pepper notes. Lovely intensity of slightly perfumed white fruit with a hint of vanilla oak. Good length with a refreshing finish. Surprisingly good for such a young malt.

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Glen Ord 2004 (8 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: PRV0940/ DMG9034

Dist: Autumn 2004 Btl: Nov 2012/ Tasted: Nov 2012

A fresh and youthful nose of cut grass, high toned marc-like botanical and a touch of lemon.

The palate is equally light and fresh with hints of citrus, barley, vanilla and gentle spice. It finishes with a touch of marc but its balanced by a light honey sweetness.

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Glen Ord 1999 (14 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: PRV0980/ DMG9652

Dist: Mar 1999 Btl: Apr 2013/ Tasted: May 2013

A slightly musty nose of baked fruit and cardboard. There is something of the Tobermory about this nose!

The palate is a little flat with some baked fruit and barley but the cardboard note is pervasive and the finish is a bit thin.

James MacArthur Glen Ord Tasting Notes

James MacArthur ‘Fine Malt Selection’ Glen Ord 12 year old 45%

Bourbon/ Tasted: Nov 2010

An extremely youthful nose full of gristy cereal and clean marc aromas. There’s some nascent honey and a slight white flower note but this is far too young to have been bottled.

The palate is not as youthful as the nose suggests but it is still young. There’s some pleasant honey and spices but the cask has imparted virtually no vanillins. If it was me I would have racked this into first fill quarter casks, which would have at least given it a blast of oak. The alcohol is also quite intrusive, adding water brings out the malt and cereal on the palate and it is pleasant and inoffensive, but not worth £38.

Douglas Laing Glen Ord Tasting Notes

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glen Ord 2004 (13 year old) 48.4%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0491/ DL12060

Dist: Sept 2004 Btl: Sept 2017/ Tasted: Oct 2017

Earthy and straw-like aromas with a faint acetic edge. Hints of ripe apricot, apple and vanilla offset that edginess to a certain degree.

The palate is quite malty and creamy with hints of straw. Sweeter with no acetic notes. Full and mouth-filling. Good, slightly salty and mineral finish. Sweet barley after-taste.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glen Ord 1997 (16 year old) 48.4%

Bourbon/ Code: OLP0026/ Dist: Apr 1997 Btl: Aug 2013/ Tasted: Sept 2013

Lightly earthy aromas with some almost grainy, lightly herbal spirit notes. Hints of vanilla/ toffee along with a touch of crystallised orange.

Soft vanilla toffee to begin with on the palate with hints of toasted caramel. It begins to freshen on the middle as the herb and spice notes appear. Pleasantly sugared with the fresh, light citrus lingering.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glen Ord 1990 (25 year old) 51.5%

Bourbon/ Code: OLD0227/ Dist: Jan 1990 Btl: Aug 2015/ Tasted: Sept 2015

Mature, straw-like aromas of apricot and white fruit, along with fragrant barley, malt, crystallised citrus, heather, honey and a touch of buttery vanilla oak. Lovely depth with a late smoked bacon note appearing.

Full and malty on the palate with loads of mature honey, coffee/hickory and dark wood spices. Soft but wonderfully intense and did I mention it was pretty malty? Long, herbal, heathery, lightly violety with lingering honey and malt.

 

---

Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Ord 1990 (18 year old) 50%

Bourbon Hogshead DL4705/ Dist: Mar 1990 Btl: Oct 2008/ Tasted: Nov 2010

Faintly phenolic with a touch of marc-like rose petals and pepper. Briny and rather peated for an Ord with some underlying malty sweetness. The oak adds some burnt toffee and barbequed banana.

The palate is fresh, young and tingly. Again slightly phenolic with some oily tropical banana, spice and plenty of alcohol. Oooh this is getting very oily and very spicy, there’s even a touch of grist too. I think this could have aged for years. Lovely length with a malty, barley finish.

A drop of water brings out some grassy citrus notes and some lovely crisp barley. The palate has become more malty with a touch of brittle honey. It just keeps rumbling along in it’s own world of sugar and spice coated fruit. Yum!

Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Ord 1997 (14 year old) 50%

Bourbon/ Code: OMC2069/ Dist: Apr 1997 Btl: Aug 2011/ Tasted: Aug 2011

A gristy and peppery nose with white liquorice, brittle honey, grassy fruit and granity notes. The palate is quite oily and full, but less granity. Quite fruity with some creamy oak and gentle spices. Good length with some granity citrus and gristy notes on the finish. Lovely sweet Satsuma note in the after taste.

Bladnoch Forum Glen Ord Tasting Notes

Bladnoch Forum Glen Ord 1990 (20 year old) 54.4%

Puncheon 1160/ Dist: 1990 Btl: 2010/ Tasted: Nov 2010

A high toned and slightly spirity nose with some gentle honey and grass. Quite delicate and mature, maybe just a touch too old as the alcohol gives it a definite nose prickle. However it has a good depth with a mature edge to the honey notes and with time some creamy vanilla oak.

The palate is surprisingly mouth filling, yet still delicate with mature light honey coated fruit, grass, straw oak and plenty of spice. The alcohol is pretty intense and the finish is quite hot with a spirity/ botanical finish.

With water the nose is beautifully grassy, almost lowland-esque. The oak is pushed back and lets some white fruits and flowers come through. Overall it seems fresher now. However the palate has lost its shape and become sugar water. Pity.

Glen Ord Distillery Bottlings Tasting Notes

Glen Ord 12 year old 40%

Tasted: Apr 2002

A spicy/fruity nose with hints of sherry and peat. On the palate it is clean and smooth, delicately spiced along with hints of malt, vanilla and the spices returning on the finish