Duncan Taylor Glenburgie Tasting Notes

Duncan Taylor Octave Glenburgie 1985 (27 year old) 55.7%

Cask 943675/ Tasted: Sept 2015

The nose is taught, herbal, spicy and coffee’d aromas which display an almost astringent rye-like character. Quite youthful and edgy with a touch of vanilla softening.

The palate is as taught and herbal as the nose! A veritable mouthful of first fill Oloroso – dark treacle, chocolate and rather drying combination of alcohol and tannins. Ooh this is a bit of a brut! Intense and mouth-watering finish with a good smoky and spicy finish. In conclusion: A very clean, unblemished, herbal sherry monster. Completely lacking in subtlety for me, but this style of whisky has its adherents!

The Single Cask Glenburgie Tasting Notes

The Single Cask Glenburgie 1995 (21 year old) 53.1%

Cask AQ795/ Dist: Jul 1995 Btl: Apr 2017/ Tasted: Nov 2017

The nose opens with some herbal, ferny, rye-like notes and subtly oxidised fruit. Pleasantly balanced by some creamy American oak and barley. The citrus and gritty pepper and cinnamon keep the oak in check.

The palate is a bit of an American oak monster with creamy vanilla and lightly baked fruit. Good depth, if a bit straightforward. Hints of barley on the middle but the oak is very dominating. Good length with lingering sweet oak (surprise!)

Claxton’s Glenburgie Tasting Notes

Claxton’s ‘The Single Cask’ Glenburgie 2008 (9 year old) 57.8%

Bourbon Hogshead/ Dist: Mar 2008 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Apr 2017

The nose is a little tight and neutral to begin with and almost like a grain spirit, with dried fruit and grass, joined by a touch of barley. With time hints of honeysuckle and earth appear along with some herbal rye-like notes.

There’s a touch more toffee’d oak on the palate long with barley and grass. Subtle, but sharp citrus on the middle. A little short with lingering ok and the dried, grainy fruit returning.

A drop of water freshens and brings out some white liquorice and sweeter barley. The palate is still pretty oaky but the spirit is heavier and oilier, but the citrus notes have disappeared. Still short with the oak following through.

Carn Mor Glenburgie Tasting Notes

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Glenburgie 2011 (5 year old) 46%

Bourbon Barrel/ Dist: 2011 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017

A pleasantly fresh and grassy nose with lime, barley and subtle, creamy oak notes. Quite charming and classically Speyside with late toffee’d notes which give the aromas some roundness.

The palate is fresh, grassy and citric with barley, white fruit and hints of straw and lightly bittering oak. Good depth an intensity with an alcohol enhanced citric bite in the finish, which does make it feel a little austere.

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Glenburgie 2011 (8 year old) 47.5%

Bourbon Barrel/ Dist: 2011 Btl: 2020/ Tasted: Mar 2020

Aromas of sweet barley, green apple and honey. With time it becomes estery and floral with pineapple, melon and apricot. Time also increase the oak but there is more than enough fruit to stop the oak dominating.

The palate opens with the creamy vanilla oak. As the oak is more noticeable the fruit is a little subdued but it begins to come through with a pleasant tropical edge. Hints of barley, minerals, grass and lime on the middle. The oak returns on the finish with vanilla cream and Bourbony notes. Light, bitter coffee after-taste.

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Glenburgie 2011 (10 year old) 47.5%

First Fill Bourbon Barrel/ Dist: 2010 Btl: 2022/ Tasted: Feb 2022

The nose isn’t as oaky as I was expecting although there is plenty of Bourbon oak here. Quite citric with hints of celery, pastry, barley and developing fresh oak. With time nutmeg.

The palate is soft and quite oaky but pleasantly citric. Good fresh middle with barley, toffee, tannin and some almost sweet corn-like notes. Mouth-filling but balanced with a long, citric, barley and slightly spicy finish.

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Glenburgie 2011 (10 year old) 47.5%

Pedro Ximinez Hogshead/ Dist: 2010 Btl: 2022/ Tasted: Feb 2022

A pure, treacly Pedro Ximinez nose. Dark nuts, cinnamon, black pepper and yet more treacle.

The palate is thick, syrupy/ treaclly and full of mouth-coating Pedro Ximinez dried prune and raisin. Hints of grilled nuts and bitter wood spice on the middle. Medium length with cinnamon, black pepper and cardamom finish. No spirit character at all.

Hunter Laing Glenburgie Tasting Notes

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Glenburgie 1997 (16 year old) 50%

Sherry Butt/ Code: OMC2350/ HL10222

Dist: June 1997 Btl: Dec 2013/ Tasted: Feb 2014

A hot and spirity nose with murky sulphurous notes and some wet cardboard too! The palate is exactly the same – Pretty grim.

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Glenburgie 1998 (18 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2589/ HL12806

Dist: Feb 1998 Btl: Aug 2016/ Tasted: Oct 2016

The nose is a little edgy and sharp with cider apple, barley and a light industrial note. With time a touch of malt and vanilla appears.

The palate is a little vague and industrial with hard barley and tart citrus. Short and remaining tart and acidic.

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Glenburgie 1999 (18 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2715/ HL14246

Dist: Jul 1999 Btl: Sept 2017/ Tasted: Nov 2017

Deep and barley’d aromas with a faint industrial edge, which to be fair isn’t too intrusive. Hints of lime, under ripe gooseberry, tobacco leaf and dusty, slightly bitter spice follow.

The palate is gritty and earthy with hard barley but also some softening vanilla/ toffee. Hints of lime and gooseberry follow but it fills out well on the middle. Long and citric with subtly sweet barley and industrial notes along with hints of dark coffee infused spices.

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Glenburgie 1999 (19 year old) 50%

Refill Sherry Butt(?)/ Code: OMC2900/ Dist Nov 1999 Btl: Apr 2019/ Tasted: July 2019

A lovely, fresh and citric nose of grapefruit, greengage and lime. A little high toned to begin with but it does settle down to show a good depth of barley, mature oak and a base of delightful tropical fruit. Very well balanced with some nutty and sawdusty oak, oats and malt.

The palate has rather a lot more vanilla oak and less of the balancing citrus. Sweet barley, malt, apricot, honey and sawdusty oak follow along with a subtle lime/ lemon note coming through on the middle. However it’s the mature oak and barley that is the focal point. The finish is better balanced as the citrus finally breaks through. Lovely apple and white liquorice after-taste.

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Glenburgie 1995 (21 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2569/ HL12358

Dist: Apr 1995 Btl: Apr 2016/ Tasted: June 2016

A lovely nose of sweet, violety spices and sharp citrus. Hints of rye-like herbal notes follow along with brandy butter, baked apple and marzipan. The aromas darken as the malt and treacle appears and it also becomes very fragrant with dusty barley and bready notes.

The palate opens with crème caramel, subtle toffee and hints of malt, baked fruit and supple spices. The oak is a tad more dominant than the nose would suggests, thus the palate is a little less complex than the nose. A touch of earth and smoke comes through on the middle and the finish is a little austere, although pleasantly citric with a drying, sweet tannin after-taste.

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Glenburgie 1989 (25 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2466/ HL11218

Dist: June 1989 Btl: Feb 2015/ Tasted: Mar 2015

A beautiful, luscious nose of mature honey and lightly dusty oak. Some heavily perfumed white fruit emerges along with hints of straw, dried barley and a touch of vanilla. Wonderfully mature.

The palate is quite fresh and stony with hints of honey and mature oak. Quite fruity still with apricot and pear. The tannins build on the middle but they are relatively soft. Good length with a crisp, fresh, lightly coffee’d and dried grass finish. Lovely, lightly oiled dry tannic spice after-taste.

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Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Glenburgie 2007 (8 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: HEP0145/ Dist: 2007 Btl: 2015/ Tasted: Dec 2015

The nose is quite oily and slightly nutty with malt, hard barley and syrup. Some dusty, slightly cardboardy spices emerge and with time it gets a bit soapy.

A little watery on the palate with waxy citrus, barley, straw and again a little cardboardy spice and hard barley. Good, spicy, if a little bitter finish with the straw notes lingering.

Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Glenburgie 2007 (8 year old) 46%

Bourbon/ Code: HEP0159/ Dist: Nov 2007 Btl: Aug 2016/ Tasted: Sept 2016

The nose is muted with hints of dusty barley, honey and citrus.

Pretty straightforward on the palate with hints of barley and honey. A little earthy/ edgy on the middle. Good length with lingering barley notes.

Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Glenburgie 2007 (8 year old) 46%

Bourbon Barrel/ Code: HEP0213/ Dist: Nov 2007 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: July 2017

Edgy, malty and slightly manure aromas with plenty of black pepper and a subtle apricot, apple and vanilla note.

The palate is crisp and fresh with a touch more toffee’d oak. Quite mineral, herbal and citric middle and a long, mouth-watering, peppery finish. Lime and green apple after-taste.

Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Glenburgie 2007 (10 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: HEP0326/ Dist: Nov 2007 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Jun 2018

An aromatic and malty nose with cereal notes. Subtly herbaceous with sweetening barley and lightly smoky oak.

The palate opens with citrus and subtle creamy oak. Barley, apricot and grippy oak notes follow. Pleasantly malty and a long, malty and spicy finish with a touch of liquorice and new make spirit notes in the finish.

Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Glenburgie 2008 (11 year old) 46%

Bourbon/ Wine Finish

Code: HEP0389/ Dist Jun 2008 Btl: 2019/ Tasted: Sept 2019

The nose is very oily, which mutes the nose somewhat, Dried cherry and sweet gingery spice appear and with time the fruit notes sweeten and a light herbal character appears.

The palate is full and oily with burnt biscuits, dried red fruit and light syrup. The burnt biscuit note intensifies and the middle is a profusion of syrup and tannins. Long and spicy with herbal fruit and subtler tannins.

Hunter Laing Distillers Art Glenburgie 1997 (15 year old) 48%

Sherry/ Code: ART0008/ Dist: Jul 1997 Btl: Feb 2015/ Tasted: Mar 2015

Lightly coffee’d and astringently herbal sherry nose with I’m afraid a touch of dirty linseed oil and sulphur! A touch of dried apricot and sultana emerges along with some peppery spice but……

The palate is a bit on the watery side and heavily toffee’d along with molasses and treacle too. The sulphur blemish is not as bad as the nose but it is still there! The oak bitters a little on the finish but the sweet dried fruit lingers.

Douglas Laing Glenburgie Tasting Notes

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glenburgie 2007 (12 year old) 48.4%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0844/ DL13706

Dist: Feb 2007 Btl: Nov 2019/ Tasted: Feb 2020

A heavy, oily, waxy, lanolin laden nose with hints of cereal, vanilla and earth.

The palate is dense, oily, waxy and malty with cereal and hints of apricot and pear. Lightly herbal and industrial middle. Long, oily, cerealy finish.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glenburgie 1995 (18 year old) 48.4%

Refill Sherry Hogshead/ Code: OLD0083/ DL10277

Dist: Jun 1995 Btl: Mar 2014/ Tasted: Apr 2014

A very malty and bready nose with notes of maturing refill sherry, dripping with dark treacle, cinnamon and more malt than you can shake a stick at! With time hints of fragrant honey and sawdusty vanillins become apparent.

The palate is again malty and bready with liquorice, light treacle, burnished wood, tea and light tobacco notes. Very sweet on the middle as the treacly sherry develops. Good length with the sweet spices lingering along with a light herbal citrus and peppery note.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glenburgie 1997 (18 year old) 48.4%

Refill Sherry Butt/ Code: OLD0228/ DL10873

Dist: June 1997 Btl: Aug 2015/ Tasted: Sept 2015

Quite herbal aromas with granulated sugar coated barley and hints of toffee and marzipan. Lightly fragrant but edgy with hints of lime and a late honey note.

The palate is fairly heavy on the toffee’d oak with thick barley and vanilla. A touch of coffee comes through on the middle along with some stewed fruit. Good, mineral finish, slightly mouth-watering with lingering barley.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glenburgie 1997 (21 year old) 51.5%

Refill Sherry Butt/ Code: OLD0598/ DL12572

Dist: Jun 1997 Btl: Jun 2018/ Tasted: Jul 2018

Aromas of dusty barley and oak with a slightly hard, industrial note. Subtly herbal with a touch of lemon/ lime sherbet, minerals and honey.

Dusty and hard barley to begin with, followed by some sweetening honey. Again slightly industrial with hints of lime, minerals and mature oak. Pleasant citric and mineral middle and a long, mature oak, barley and honey finish.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glenburgie 1989 (25 year old) 49.3%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0160/ DL10590

Dist: June 1989 Btl: Dec 2014/ Tasted: Feb 2015

Very appealing aromas of fresh and fragrant barley with hints of heather, citrus, grass, buttery oak and barley sugar. With time it becomes quite mature and slightly earthy.

The palate opens with a pleasant barley sweetness followed by apricot, orange and lemon. Unobtrusive oak adds weight and a little tannin. Long, lip smacking finish with the citrus returning and a lovely, lightly nutty and grassy after-taste.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glenburgie 1992 (25 year old) 51.5%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0452/ DL11772

Dist: Apr 1992 Btl: Jun 2017/ Tasted: July 2017

Edgy and citric on the nose with herbal barley and hints of honey, butter and coconut.

The palate is slightly cardboardy with soft barley, buttery oak and citrus. Long with lingering barley and citrus.

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Douglas Laing Provenance Glenburgie 2008 (8 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: PRV1241/ DL11531

Dist: Jun 2008 Btl: Nov 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2017

Aromas of slightly industrial barley, white fruit, unsweetend pineapple and a touch of honey.

The palate opens with some subtly toffee’d oak and barley, which makes it more appealing in the mouth. Still the barley has a hard edge and it’s a bit short and mineral with the oak returning on the after-taste.

Douglas Laing Provenance Glenburgie 2009 (8 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: PRV1379/ DL12610

Dist: Nov 2009 Btl: May 2018/ Tasted: Jul 2018

A lovely, sweet barley’d and honeyed nose with hints of vanilla, granulated sugar and lime.

The palate opens with sweet vanilla oak, sweet barley and hints of white peach, pear and apricot. Lovely citrus and mineral middle and a long finish with lingering white fruit and citrus.

Douglas Laing Provenance Glenburgie 2006 (10 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: PRV1269/ Dist: Nov 2006 Btl: Feb 2017/ Tasted: Aug 2017

A lovely nose of honeyed white fruit, orange blossom honey, toasty oak and a light minerality.

The palate is full and honeyed with white fruit, apricot and peach. Lovely barley’d middle with hints of vanilla and minerals. Long, crisp and citric finish with lingering toasty oak, sweet nutmeg and ginger wood spice.

Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glenburgie 1995 (16 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2142/ DL8005

Dist: Apr 1995 Btl: Jan 2012/ Tasted: Feb 2012

A sweetly spiced nose, liberally sprinkled with castor sugar with hints of botanicals and honey. Pleasantly clean with some underlying oak, which becomes creamier as it envelops the nose.

The palate opens with the creamy/ milky oak; flecks of honey and spice are interwoven. The sweets builds and becomes quite confected. Pleasantly deep, if a bit straightforward with a long, sugary-sweet finish.

Douglas McGibbon Glenburgie Tasting Notes

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Glenburgie 2007 (7 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: PRV1133/ DMG10574

Dist: Nov 2007 Btl: Dec 2014/ Tasted: Jan 2015

A lightly fragrant nose of gristy barley, light malt, honey and developing herbal notes.

The palate is quite fresh with light barley and crunchy apple notes. It fills out well on the middle as a touch of toffee and spice appears. Good citric and barley’d finish. 

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Glenburgie 1999 (11 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: PRV0735/ DMG7653

Dist Nov 1999 Btl: Oct 2011/ Tasted: Oct 2011

A dense, oily and creamy nose with a hint of barley and more than a hint of burnt caramel! A fresh citrus and grassy note tries to emerge from the oak morass, but ultimately fails to do so.

The palate is a tad nondescript, quite sweet and bitter; maybe a touch fleshy but the alcohol and burnt caramel really hammers the palate. Short with a citrus, granity, bitter finish.

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Glenburgie 1999 (12 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: PRV0781/ DMG8015

Dist: Feb 1999 Btl: Dec 2012/ Tasted: Dec 2012

Very floral and herbal aromas with a touch of citrus and white liquorice. Seriously floral with hints of apricot, barley and toffee.

Soft on the palate, reasonably floral with barley, caramel and citrus. Good length with a lightly honeyed thread and a pleasant crisp, slightly granity finish.

Murray McDavid Glenburgie Tasting Notes

Murray McDavid ‘Mission Gold Series’ Glenburgie 1989 (18 year old) 54%

Bourbon/ Rivesaltes

Dist: 1989 Btl: 2007/ Tasted: Feb 2008

Clean and fresh with aromas of light apricot and Satsuma followed by botanicals and vanilla oak. Unassuming or elegant (take your pick!) and slightly perfumed.

Gentle and botanical on the palate. Quite fresh with some fleshy apricot fruit and a touch of aniseed. Alcohol and the wood tannins mask the finish with exception of the botanical notes and maybe a slight sweetness hovers in the background.

A drop of water emphasises the oils and oak on the nose and does the same for the palate. It is still quite woody and the fruit is still just an impression or maybe a ghost. The finish has become a great deal more sugary.

MacPhail’s Glenburgie Tasting Notes

Gordon & MacPhail ‘Distillery Label’ Glenburgie 10year old 40%

Sherry/ Tasted Sept 2007

Initially a touch vegetal on the nose although this blows off quiet quickly. Good chocolately, rich re-fill sherry fruits with hints of raisins and dried fruit. The sherry aromas continue to develop and time brings out a violety note and dunnage floor aromas.

The palate is soft and fruity with chocolatey re-fill sherry fruit, and soft dusty spices. A touch vegetal and simple. It’s ok. The palate doesn’t live up to the nose and the vegetal note is somewhat off putting.

Gordon & MacPhails ‘Distillery Label’ 1963 (44 year old) Glenburgie 43%

First Fill Sherry/ Dist: 1963 Btl: 2007/ Tasted: July 2011

A huge, monstrously sherried nose with an abundance of mature dried fruit, liquorice and herbs along with a touch of menthol and an elderflower top note. Exceedingly venerable but showing plenty of verve.

Full and sherried (surprise!). Linear but very deep with huge amounts of tannins which dry the palate out.  Very good length but again pretty dry. In conclusion: An old and unsubtle sherry monster which is overly tannic.

Dewar Rattray Glenburgie Tasting Notes

Dewar Rattray ‘Cask Collection’ Glenburgie 2008 (10 year old) 59.8%

Bourbon Hogshead 800356/ Dist: 2008 Btl: 2019/ Tasted: Apr 2019

A heavy, oily and botanical nose with juniper, barley and slightly soapy/ perfumed white fruit. Late hints of honeysuckle and biscuity/ worty notes.

The palate is oily and dense with barley and more toasty and toffee’d oak. Straightforward but deep with a touch of straw-like barley and grippy tannins. Masked finish.

With water the nose is still oily but a little more fragrant and barley’d. Hints of granulated sugar now. The palate is a little lighter with more emphasis on the toffee’d oak. Still simple and barley’d with drilled nuts on the middle. Oily fruit finish with spicy and citric notes.

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Glenburgie 2001 (12 year old) 57.1%

Bourbon/ Sherry Cask Finish 2359/ Dist: Apr 2001 Btl: Apr 2014/ Tasted: May 2014

A stinky and earthy nose of treacle, liquorice and toffee. The vibrant citrus adds freshness. Very herbal with a young rye-like herbal character.

The palate is pungent, animally and earthy with plenty of coffee’d/ herbal sherry. Well-endowed with wood tannins and alcohol! Very herbal finish with a touch of bitter spice.

With water the nose becomes simpler and a tad muted. Still very herbal though. The palate is much the same with a sugar water character and still quite a dry finish.

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Glenburgie 1983 (25 year old) 58.2%

Bourbon cask 9808/ Dist: Mar 1983 Btl: Sept 2009/ Tasted: Sept 2009

The nose is a bit prickly to start with but the crisp, granity orange, apricot and mature honey arrives promptly. It has quiet a noticeable earthy-peat character along with some lovely buttery oak and coastal salinity. Over time a touch of light coffee and wood spices emerges from amongst the fresh igneous morass!

The palate is soft, oily and slightly creamy. Then the granity apricot and orange arrives followed by the generous alcohol. Its quiet complex and grassy with hints of hay/ straw, white fruit and peat, all accentuated by its mineral/ granity leanings, especially on the finish.

A drop of water and it becomes an ‘Oh Yes’ moment! The orange fruit takes on a beautiful liquid viscosity, coating the tongue with lashings of mature honey and gorgeously soft spices. The oak retreats into the back ground, but it is still garanity and fresh with the salinity noticeable, but unfortunately the peat has all but disappeared. On the palate it sweetens and gives the orange fruit a lovely sheen. Now wonderfully mellow, yet still crisp and fruity. It shortens the length a little bit but leaves a lasting impression of saline-grassy-spices on the after taste.