Glen Moray

glen-moray-distillery

  • Founded: 1897
  • Status: Operational
  • Region: Speyside, Scotland – Elgin, Morayshire IV30 1YE +44(0)1343 542577
  • Online: http://www.glenmoray.com/
glen-moray-elgin-classic-whisky
Image courtesy of Master of Malt

History Glen Moray started life as West Brewery in Elgin run by Robert Thorne & Sons, and was converted to a distillery with 2 stills in 1897. Following a fire and extensive rebuilding program at their Aberlour distillery, the company focused on production of Aberlour whisky, allowing the Glen Moray distillery to run down. It was closed in 1910. The distillery was purchased by the owners of the Glenmorangie Distillery, the MacDonald and Muir families at some time during the 1920s. The distillery received 2 additional stills in 1958 and at present has an annual capacity of around 2,000,000 litres. The company now belongs to La Martiniquaise which uses part of its production in their blended Whisky Label 5. The distillery was expanded in 2012 and now produces 3,300,000 litres annually from 3 wash stills and 3 spirit stills.

The Whiskyphiles tasting notes

Official Bottling
  • Glen Moray 2 Years Old Peated Spirit Batch 1 (2015) - Glen Moray 2 Years Old Peated Spirit Batch 1 (60.6%, OB, 2015) Category: Speyside peated spirit drink Origin: Glen Moray Distillery Bottling: Official ABV: 60.6% Cost: £15 for 20cl Score: 81/100   […]
  • Glen Moray 2010 Peated PX Finish Glen Moray 6 Years Old 2010 PX Cask 99917 (2018) - Reminded me of a rather good peated and sherried Kildalton malt I shan't name; but I suggest Glen Moray name this whisky "Morgeadail" ;-D 88/100
  • Glen Moray 2008 Cider Cask Glen Moray 9 Years Old 2008 Cider Cask 99956 (2018) - Dangerously drinkable, this is whisky with a refreshing Cider edge to it full of sour green Bramley apples. 86/100
  • Glen Moray 2007 Port Finish Glen Moray 10 Years Old 2007 Port Cask 20050 (2018) - Definitely one for the nose, a well put together dram and not overly sweet for a port finish. 84/100
  • Glen Moray 10 Years Old Chardonnay Cask Matured-single-malt-scotch-whisky Glen Moray 10 Years Old Chardonnay Cask (2013) - Glen Moray 10 Years Old Chardonnay Cask Matured Special Reserve (40%, OB, 2013) 40% ABV, £25 for 70cl. Score 76/100 What they say: Glen Moray Single Malt Scotch Whisky has been distilled […]
  • glen-moray-11-years-old-2005-burgundy-cask-5542 Glen Moray 11 Years Old 2005 Burgundy Cask 5422 (2017) - Glen Moray 11 Years Old 2005 Distillery Exclusive (59.7%, OB, Burgundy Cask #5422, 2016) Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky Origin: Glen Moray Distillery Bottling: Handfill distillery exclusive ABV: 59.7% Cost:  £50 […]
  • Glen Moray Madeira Cask Project image Glen Moray 13 Years Old 2006 Madeira Cask Project (2020) - Glen Moray 2006 Madeira Cask Project Whisky Review: Deliciously rich but not over-sweet, an unsual fruity and malty combination with a creamy delivery. 87/100
  • Glen Moray 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Finish Glen Moray 15 Years Old 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 600234 (2018) - Unusual and interesting flavours, love that inkiness that can only have come from the wine cask. Lots of citron/citrus fruit elements too where the wine and whisky have really worked together. 87/100
  • glen-moray-15-years-old Glen Moray 15 Years Old Elgin Heritage (2017) - Glen Moray 15 Years Old Elgin Heritage (40%, OB, 2017) Whisky Review Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky Origin: Glen Moray Distillery Bottling: La Martiniquaise ABV: 40% Cost: £45 What they say: […]
  • Glen Moray Distillery Edition range mid res Glen Moray 16 Years Old 2004 Burgundy Cask 213 (2020) - Glen Moray 16 Years Old 2004 Burgundy Cask #213 Whisky review: Definitely my favourite of the trio. Richer and deeper in flavours though the same tannic spice is here it is a little more balanced against the wine cask here and the malty spirit nature is hardly noticable holding it all together. 86/100
  • Glen Moray Distillery Edition range mid res Glen Moray 16 Years Old 2004 Chenin Blanc Cask 341 (2020) - Glen Moray 16 Years Old 2004 Chenin Blanc Cask #341 Whisky Review: Another full bodied and intense expression. Again quite tannic and spicy, with water this moves into fruit & chalk but still that must/old rubber persists throughout. 84/100
  • Glen Moray Distillery Edition range mid res Glen Moray 17 Years Old 2003 Chardonnay Cask 7670 (2020) - Glen Moray 17 Years Old 2003 Chardonnay Cask Whisky Review: Pretty full on at cask strength this is packed with fruits and tannins, with water some peppery spice still remains. 85/100
  • glen-moray-18-years-old Glen Moray 18 Years Old Elgin Heritage  (2017) - Glen Moray 18 Years Old Elgin Heritage (47.2%, OB, 2017) Whisky Review Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky Origin: Glen Moray Distillery Bottling: La Martiniquaise ABV: 47.2% Cost: ~ £80 What they […]
  • Glen Moray 1998 PX Finish Glen Moray 19 Years Old 1998 PX Cask 99913 (2018) - I like it, quite subtle as far as PX finishes go, very sippable. I suspect the reduced ABV going into the PX casks has subtly coaxed the PX elements out of the wood rather than strip it out as fast as possible like most finishes would. 88/100
  • Glen Moray 1994 Sherry Cask Finish (2017) - An interesting single cask dram but paled after the new 18 year old, a little dry and spicy in places for my liking. 85/100
  • Glen Moray Classic Port Cask Finish (2014) - Glen Moray Classic Port Cask Finish (40%, OB, 2014) 40% ABV, £25 Score: 63/100 What they say: There’s an almost mysterious, ethereal quality about this radiant malt whisky. No wonder we enjoy […]
  • glen-moray-classic-whisky Glen Moray Elgin Classic (2013) - Glen Moray Elgin Classic (40%, OB, 2013) Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky Origin: Glen Moray Distillery Bottling: La Martiniquaise ABV: 40% Cost: £22.45 What they say: Glen Moray is a classic Speyside single […]
  • glen-moray-classic-peated-whisky Glen Moray Elgin Classic Peated (2016) - Glen Moray Elgin Classic Peated (40%, OB, 2016) Whisky Review Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky Origin: Glen Moray Distillery Bottling: La Martiniquaise ABV: 40% Cost: £26.83 What they say: There’s an […]
  • glen-moray-elgin-classic-sherry-cask-finish Glen Moray Elgin Classic Sherry Cask Finish (2016) - Glen Moray Elgin Classic Sherry Cask (40%, OB, 2016) Finish Whisky Review Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky Origin: Glen Moray Distillery Bottling: La Martiniquaise ABV: 40% Cost: £26.45 What they say: […]
  • Glen Moray Warehouse 1 2005 Tokaji Finish (2021) - Traditional sweetie shop with candied ginger and dried/candied orange peel layered over Glen Moray's biscuity malt base, later maple and pecan pastries and a hint of saffron, remarkable!
  • Sauternes in warehouse (1) Glen Moray Warehouse 1 2006 Sauternes Cask Matured (2020) - A fascinating full ex-Sauternes maturation has delivered plenty of sweet fruit but equally tannic French oak influence to Glen Moray's supple spirit. 86/100
  • manzanilla-bottle-and-carton-jpg Glen Moray Warehouse 1 2008 Manzanilla Finish (2022) - Sweet and fruity from the Manzanilla sherry finish ads to the cereal and malt rich Glen Moray core flavours, very enjoyable. 86/100
  • glen-moray-warehouse-1-1998-barolo-finish Glen Moray Warehouse 1 Barolo Finish (2021) - 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. 85/100
Independent Bottling
Carn Mor
Lady of the Glen
  • Glen-Moray-12yo-2008-TPF-LOTG-2020-1 Glen Moray 12 Years Old 2008 PX Finish (2020) - Glen Moray 12 Years Old 2008 PX Finish whisky review: A deliciously finished Glen Moray expression retaining some lovely toffee/caramel nature and plenty of oak wood influence on the chocolatey PX finish. 87/100
Lockett Bros
  • Craigleith Glen Moray 18 Lockett Bros Glen Moray 18 Years Old 1995 Craigleith (2014) - Glen Moray 18 Years Old, 1995 ‘Craigleith’ (50.9%, Lockett Bros, Bourbon HH #2564, 120 Bottles, 2013) 50.9% ABV, £69.99 Score: 85/100 What they say: An utterly delicious 18 year old from the […]
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
  • SMWS 35.116 Menthol cool meets chilli heat SMWS 35.116 Menthol cool meets chilli heat (2014) - Glen Moray 17 Years Old 1996 35.116 Menthol cool meets chilli heat (55.7%, SMWS, 1st Fill Designer Barrel, 211 Bottles, 2014) 55.7% ABV, £53.90 for 70cl Score: 60/100 What they say: The […]
  • SMWS-NLtasting 03/02/2015 SMWS 35.121 You make me feel (mighty real) (2015) - Glen Moray 12 Years Old 2001 35.121 You make me feel (mighty real) (57.9%, SMWS, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, 235 Bottles, 2014) Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky Origin: Glen Moray Distillery […]
  • SMWS 35.139 Punchy spice explosion SMWS 35.139 Punchy spice explosion (2015) - Wow, a stunning Glen Moray expression. The toasted cask has worked to perfection here with a massive infusion of caramelised sugars and beautiful complimentary spices. A culinary delight! 88/100
  • 35.214-web-new SMWS 35.214 Without Pretence (2018) - SMWS 35.214 Without Pretence review: Sadly a good example of the numbers on the bottle just not adding up for me. Amazingly ethereal for a 22 year old whisky. Too old to boast much Glen Moray character, too under-active cask to display much flavour anywhere really. Nothing wrong with it, but not much to write home about either. 80/100
  • 35.223-web SMWS 35.223 A Theta State of Mind (2020) - SMWS 35.223 A Theta State of Mind whisky review: Another lovely and well-aged dram, the Sauternes finish may have added plenty of sweetness and fruit but the impact seems really rather subtle and I suspect I can taste just as much French oak influence here as I can from the sweet Sauternes wine. 86/100
  • SMWS 35.97 Boozy Christmas Cake (2014) - Glen Moray 10 Years Old 2004 35.97 Boozy Christmas Cake (58.7%, SMWS, 1st Fill Sherry Butt, Members Pack, 2013) 58.7% ABV, £? – 10cl part of the membership pack Score: 88/100 What […]