Glentauchers 2008/2022 Distillery Labels (Gordon & MacPhail)

Gordon and MacPhail, Elgin, Shop Tasting, 4th May 2024, whisky #2 Nose: Malty and savory, like balsamic vinegar or beef extract. Stewed fruit, gooseberries and red berries. There is an aroma of decomposed lignin and fermentation sulphur that is a lot nicer than it might sound. It’s an umami character and it gives the nose depth and interest. Palate: Semi-sweet cereal arrival. As it develops there is muesli with lots of fruits and nuts and again that umami quality that was noticed on the nose. The texture is oily and the sulphurous note contributes body but absolutely no off-notes. Finish: Medium. Buttered black bread, white wheat toast and roasted nuts. This is a classic refill-cask whisky that highlights malt and cereal notes. There is no cask domination or fussy finishing going on here and the pleasant range of aromas and flavours is easy to enjoy. It's a straight-up, no-nonsense, good scotch single malt whisky. There has never been an official distillery bottling of Glentauchers which is a pity as it’s a delightful distillate. My tasting diary tells me that I’ve had six Glentauchers expressions over the years including this one and I’ve never rated it as less than 83/100. The vast majority of their output goes into Ballantine’s blended whiskies which I guess is one reason why that blend is so pleasant. Gordon & MacPhail have (or at least they used to have) a standing licence to bottle Glentauchers as a semi-official bottling under their “Distillery Labels” range. It has been available for decades as semi-annual releases in batches ranging form 12-14 years of age. The casks, which are top-notch refill hogsheads, are supplied by Gordon & MacPhail and filled at the distillery. I particularly enjoyed this whisky with a dash of water as it brought out some delightful barley sugar notes and rendered the already enjoyable oily texture even better making it creamy and buttery. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)