Glen Marnoch 28 Years Old (43.4%, Aldi, 2016)

Whisky Review

• Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: ?
• Bottling: Aldi
• ABV: 43.4%
• Cost: £39.99

What they say

Glen Marnoch Small Batch Distiller’s Reserve. 28 Year Old Speyside single malt scotch whisky, 43.4%

What I say

Not an awful lot to go on here, a rather unusual 43.4% ABV bottling strength, Scotch whisky made in Scotland (imagine that eh?). Compared to Lidl’s Ben Bracken offerings this is equivalent in age and £10 cheaper plus a little stiffer in ABV so again a no-brainer we had to try this.

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Dark bronze with ruby highlights (13/20), slow medium-sized tears leave long fine legs
• Nose: Unmistakable sherry cask maturation here, dried fruits; raisin, prune/plum, dark chocolate, nutty and some sweet vanilla, aged wood – like camphor wood and eucalyptus wood (slightly medicated/medicinal), gianduja, almond milk, walnut, hazelnut, Nutella hazelnut and chocolate spread, highland toffee, malty cereal barley and a wisp of smoke (perhaps the earlier medicinal notes are more indicative of a touch of peat on top of old oak wood?)
• Taste: Toffee/butterscotch, zesty freshly grated ginger, cinnamon and herbal clove spices, eucalyptus, sweet milk chocolate, toasted hazelnuts, sweetened latte coffee, cherry and blackcurrant liqueur, dried fruits, raisin, prune, a touch of leathery tannin
• Finish: Long, dried fruits, trail mix/nutty, bitter oak wood & espresso coffee, dark chocolate covered coffee beans, [almost fibrous & gritty it’s that dark]

Overall

Wow, wonderfully aged sherried Speyside dram, rich in lots of lovely spices and mixed with old oak wood qualities. This instantly likened itself to some of the wonderful Glenfarclas bottlings we have tried, especially with that ethereal wispy smoke quality.

Score 90/100

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