What they say

Today (1^st October), the deep blue doors of Glen Moray’s ‘Warehouse 1’ release another hidden gem for whisky lovers to savour: the 1998 Barolo Finish, the second of three whiskies from the Warehouse 1 Collection scheduled for 2021.

Distilled in 1998, this beautiful dram was tucked away in the Elgin distillery’s celebrated warehouse to mature in ex-bourbon casks, before being transferred to three ex-Barolo casks for a final, flavourful finish.

The resulting dram is autumn in a glass, bursting with flavour and perfectly marrying Glen Moray’s traditional sweet toffee and blackcurrant notes with deliciously rich hits of wood, leather, chocolate caramels and dark autumnal fruits, followed by a warming honey finish.

Just 863 bottles are being released exclusively to the UK market, exemplifying Glen Moray’s adventurous and experimental approach to small batch whiskies bottled under the Warehouse 1 banner.

Barolo Finish is the oldest release from the Collection to date and is the second of three launches scheduled this year – following on from this summer’s successful Tokaji Finish release. This year’s Warehouse 1 whiskies all share a common theme, celebrating Glen Moray’s classic Speyside spirit matured in casks sourced from some of Europe’s oldest, noblest and most distinctively flavoured wine varieties.

Considered by many to be the king of Italian red wines, Barolo is produced in the Piedmont region from Nebbiolo grapes, which are high in tannin and acid. Rich and full bodied, wine will have spent at least 18 months in the barrels used for final maturation of the Barolo Finish expression.

Glen Moray Distillery Manager Iain Allan notes: ‘Once again, our distillery team has bottled an absolute gem from Warehouse 1, their special place for experimentation, innovation and patience – time, as always, being one of the most important ingredients in creating our wonderful whiskies. ‘Our team searches the world for interesting and unusual casks, and they’re not afraid to use them to push the boundaries of flavour, as they have done with this very special 1998 Barolo Finish release. It’s a joy of a dram, a superb combination of our distillery’s sweet, light, citrus style with deeper notes of wood, caramel chocolates, plums, figs, brambles and honey. This is one to share around a table with good friends as the nights draw in – a rich, warming and very special dram from behind our big blue Warehouse 1 doors.’

Launched in late 2020 with the inaugural Sauternes Cask Matured expression, Glen Moray’s Warehouse 1 Collection promises small batch, limited release whiskies that are always non-chill filtered and bottled at cask strength with natural colour.

Crafted since 1897 in the ancient town of Elgin, the capital of the Speyside whisky region, Glen Moray distillers have been curious about flavour throughout their history. Surviving ledgers show that a wide variety of casks were used to mature new make spirit back in those early days, which was an unusual practice for the time. A deep knowledge and expertise of wood has developed at Glen Moray through generations of distillers, resulting in today’s exceptional range of whiskies with a style to suit everyone.

Glen Moray Warehouse 1 1998 Barolo Finish is bottled at cask strength (52.9% ABV) and is non-chill filtered with natural colour. It is a UK exclusive, available in 70cl packs in specialist whisky shops, RRP £139.95.

Official Tasting Notes

• Nose: a combination of sweet toffee and floral rose fading to a decadent aroma of caramel chocolates.
• Taste: after an initial hit of tannic intensity, leather and wood combine to create a whisky of stature. Then, the sweeter elements begin to shine, with toffee-drizzled figs, dark plums and blackberries drizzled with cream. 
• Finish: pure runny honey: gentle, sweet and lingering. 

What I say

Continuing their Warehouse 1 series with a UK exclusive release Barolo cask finish from the depths of Glen Moray’s liquid archive. If ever their was a series worth collecting just for sheer drinkability then this is it! You can thank and commiserate with me in equal measures later over a fantastic collection of empty bottles. Once again proof of the malleability of Glen Moray’s base spirit coupled to some quality cask selection and finishing.

• ABV 52.9%
• Age 22 Years Old
• Bottler Glen Moray
• Bottling Official
• Cask Barolo cask finish.
• Category Single Malt Whisky
• Cost £139.95
• Origin Glen Moray Distillery
• Outturn 863 bottles
• Region Speyside
• Released 2021
• Vintage 1998

My tasting notes

• Appearance Bright full orange (10/20), medium-fine tears and fine, beaded legs.
• Nose Floral backed with fruit, some soft malty barley, toffee apples, Rose Turkish delight, rich caramel sauce, creamy Highland toffee wrapped in milk chocolate.
• Taste Medium-full bodied, mixed red berries, caramel and some tannic and woody spices, ground black pepper, red liqourice, a touch bitter, cinnamon, fruity red grapes, toffee, vanilla, dried fig jam, soft/dusting of cocoa powder and leather.
• Finish Medium-long, sweet honey becomes a touch drying with woodier herbs.
• Overall A touch tannic and spicy in places at full strength. This presents an unusual mixture of red fruits and toffee which is oddly harmonious. Another predictably excellent, wine cask influenced, Glen Moray.

Score 85/100

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