Review: Glenturret 9 Years Old 2006 Cask #545 – Ewan MacGregor

Category:Highland single malt scotch whisky

Origin: Glenturret Distillery

Bottling: Official – bottle-your-own

ABV:58.6% ABV

Cost:£75 for 70cl  exclusively from Glenturret Distillery

Score: 86/100

What they say:

Glenturret Distillery Bottle Your Own

Cask name: Ewan MacGregor

Cask No.: GTUR 2006 #545

A.B.V.: 58.6% (Cask Strength)

Whisky: Single Cask Edition of ‘The Glenturret’ A Sherry Cask filled in September 2006

Tasting Notes: Orange peel, Cedar Wood & Nutmeg on the palate, with a spicy finish

Price: £75.00

What I say:

Prompted by a recent discussion with Tom of Toms Whisky Reviews around distillery exclusive ‘bottle-your-own’ expressions and our already planned return visit to Deanston to collect a BYO from their 2nd cask (an Amontillado Sherry cask). We decided to head on further into the Highlands – taking in the scenic Loch Linhe and Loch Earn before stopping off at Glenturret. Unfortunately their 1st BYO cask had sold out, but had been replaced by this 9 year old Oloroso Sherry cask the ‘Ewan MacGregor’.

Colour:

Refractive golden orange (14/20) , medium tears & trails

Nose:

Slightly musty old patent leather, beeswax or polish, tannic, orange peel and zest, some ginger spice, perfumed and floral orange blossom or mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii), orange sherbet, lighter vanillins and some cereal barley grist and malt, butterscotch fudge with zesty orange pieces. With a little water much more fragrant orange blossom is revealed

Taste:

Light and buttery in mouthfeel, some gentle heat, zesty orange peel, rich golden syrup and heather honey, cereal barley malt, rough cut Seville orange and ginger marmalade on buttered white bread toast, Marmalade tart with a generous sprinkling of icing sugar and some vanilla. With water more orange barley sugar sweeties

Finish:

Long, drying, spicy nutmeg and cinnamon, zesty orange citrus, tannic dry leather. With water a slightly more ‘grainy’ feel to the spices – still drying and tannic

Overall:

For a malt matured for 9 years this has developed a beautiful colour, aroma and palate. If anything the slightly spicy and drying finish is intriguing but not quite in keeping with the rest. If anything the zesty vigour of youth is felt strongest in the finish of this dram. That said – this is one to sit and nose, you can almost smell the Spanish sunshine ripening the oranges in this dram.