Glen Moray Elgin Classic Chardonnay Cask Finish

Nose: A strangely sour fruit note, almost mezcal-like or maybe even akin to retsina. Cereal and a little vanilla, but quirky. Green tea and parsley. White grapes (or is that the power of suggestion?) Palate: A sweet/astringent arrival that becomes sweeter as it develops. Bright and hard citrus at the start (kumquat?) but relaxing into sweeter lime flavours as it unfolds, then green melon and fruits (but they are all young and just barely ripe fruits). Finish: Short. Crisp and mildly bitter/sour citrus and cereal flavours gradually fading out sweet. This is a whisky that needs to rest in the glass for a while with a dash of water before tasting. When freshly poured it is full of grassy and odd citrus flavours, but as it develops you do clearly detect the chardonnay cask on both nose and palate. A dash of water makes it more agreeable by bringing out some cereal sweetness but overall I didn't think much of it. It's the sort of thing you could become accustomed to if it was all you had on a desert island, but not much more. The price is reasonable but be aware that it's not a typical profile, and an acquired taste. Also note that a few years ago there was a 10 year old Glen Moray single malt that was matured entirely in chardonnay casks and not just finished in them. It was far superior to this expression but is now discontinued. Don't confuse the two. "Average" : 77/100 (2.5 stars)

A weak 4, and I couldn't bear the thought of giving it a 3. It's nothing to shout home about, but I liked it. The nose evokes thoughts of tea leaves with a touch of apples and baking spices. The palate is nutty, with a strange deliciousness for which the Chardonnay cask is probably responsible for. The finish is short but refreshingly crisp. It's different in a good way.