Glen Garioch 1999 Sherry Cask Matured

This Single Malt says “Sherry Casks” loud and proud.

The Glen Garioch distillery (pronounced Glen Geery in Doric Gaelic) was founded in 1797. It is located in Oldmeldrum, Scotland — a small town in the Highlands famous for producing some of the finest barley in all of Scotland.

The distillery is one of the oldest in Scotland and is operated by Morrison Bowmore Distillers, which is in turn owned by Suntory. Glen Garioch has been in continuous operation since 1797… well, almost. You see, when the ownership changed hands in 1995 there were two “dark” years when new production was completely stopped, the processes tweaked, and the peat removed from the malting. So you really have two Glen Garioch Whisky styles… pre-1995 and post-1997. Both versions have their fans and we say let your taste buds decide.

Glen Garioch 1999 Oloroso Sherry Cask Matured is all about the Sherry casks. It is very common for fine Single Malt Whisky to be “finished” in Sherry casks in order to add the perfume aromas and rancio flavours that go so well with Scotch.

But this one has done all of its aging in Oloroso Sherry casks — some of the finest available. That means that this Whisky (bottled in 2013) jumps out at you with those signature flavors and an intensely sherried, mouth-coating texture. And at 56.3% ABV, those flavors arrive at full strength.