Glenturret 11 Year The MacPhail's Collection (Gordon & MacPhail)

I get caramel on the nose, maybe even a little butterscotch. Perhaps a bit of damp cereal grains, almost oats. On the palate I get caramel and cream. Pears, particularly pear skin. Mild lemony notes reminiscent of lemon extract. Freshly cut green grass. Damp, musty, mild wood. There are spicy wood notes in the finish that hint at cedar and ground ginger. The mouth feel is layered and creamy. This is a very refreshing whiskey- it's reminds me of early spring - damp, fresh, but still a bit cool. All in all, this is refreshing and inoffensive(in a good way). This would be a pretty reasonable dram to share with someone who might otherwise find whiskey intimidating. It's pleasant, it's got a nice amount of complexity, but still falls in the safe and accessible portion of the spectrum. I can enjoy this, despite my general flavor preferences being coastal and peated malts.

Been out of pocket the past two weeks: business to Houston, graduation parties, birthday parties, etc. has just sapped my time/review time. Sneaking in a moment while with the family so I can finally drink something more than beer or everyday party whiskey. Enter Glenturret 11 provided by @Telex for the sixth round for our tasting group. Sliced Granny Smith apples drizzled with vanilla and honey begins the nose. Some dampened hay/straw and an earthy mineral quality comes through as it opens producing and odd synthetic funk. If you really dig in, you can draw out a tropical shaved coconut and macadamia nuts. The arrival is soft and oily, dense. Sweet and spicy. The sweetness of caramel, vanilla and a touch of honey. A spiciness of ground cinnamon and white pepper. Some mixed nuts weave through the palate The palate is left a bit tingly from the spicy palate with some oak dryness that lasts a fair length of time. This was rather average. It’s a dram that’s good to kick back and easily sip, but it’s not one I would readily seek out. Not flashy or sophisticated. The sweet and spicy quality could make this as a good cigar paired sipper. Too bad I don’t have a cigar at this moment. [84/100][Tasted: 6/3/18]

At first nose, it reminded me a little of a Ben Nevis 10. A little funkiness going on, but not as intense. Peaches, nectarines, sulfur, leather, and oak. The palate is quite good with nutmeg, vanilla, rhubarb, white pepper, and light cherries. A very exquisite medium and thick mouth coat, with a medium length oily, yet cashew, toffee, and walnut finish. Thankfully, a solid independent offering for under a 100 bucks. The theme to the dram should be funky and bright too. "Last Child" by Aerosmith will work nicely. 3.75 from me!

Stop number 79 on the SDT is Glenturret. This 11 year old Highland single malt comes to us by way of the independent bottlers at Gordon & MacPhail. Bottled at 46% ABV and even though I don’t have definitive proof, I do believe it is both non chill filtered and natural color of yellow gold. The nose begins with green apples and pears and green oak. Fresh would be the best way to describe it. Grainy/malty with some honey, very floral. Light orchard fruits, oranges, lemons, nectarines. Slightly vegetal, hay and grasses. Vanilla, very light toffee and nuts. Not super complex but good regardless. The palate is strong on the honey up front. Vanilla and orchard fruits, apricots, oranges and nectarines. The fruits move to the tropical zone and then bursts with flavor. Pineapple, coconut, papaya, mango and melons. No real oak to speak of but a fair bit of spice. Medium bodied mouthfeel that is quite oily and mouthwatering. A medium length finish. Fruity with a touch of bitterness. Mouthwatering throughout. I have to say this was a very good example of an independent bottling done right. Not the pinnacle of depth and complexity but it can hold its own against more than a few official bottlings out there. Easy drinking but not lacking in power. At around $70 it’s not a bad value for money. I’m not sure how many bottles were released but I would recommend picking one up should the opportunity present itself. 3.75 and thanks to @Telex for the sample. Cheers

With our sixth round of trading samples starting to reach each other’s doorsteps, it’s time for me to review another obscure, Scottish distillery: Glenturret. This Highland distillery bills itself as Scotland’s oldest distillery (yeah, it’s heavily contested by a few other places). It was officially founded in 1775, but it’s been said that illegal distilling has taken place at this location since 1717. Smugglers would take turns making their “hooch” while lookouts camped out on opposing hillsides surrounding the location, keeping an eye out for British taxmen who were always prowling the area for illegal activity. In the very early days, the distillery was actually called Hosh, which meant “foot”- named this because all the materials needed and product made were carried in and out by workers “on foot”. Glenturret is also semi-famous for its feline caretakers, called “mousers”. The most famous cat, named Towser the Mouser, is actually in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most mouse kills by a single feline. It is estimated that he slayed almost 29,000 mice during his tenure at the distillery from 1963-1987. The visitor center even has a bronze statue in his honor. There are currently 2 “mousers” on duty- Glen and Turret. You gotta like the quirky stories and illicit history for this small distillery. Glenturret is currently operating with only 2 stills and their annual output is only 340k liters per year. Half of their spirit goes into the single malt line and the other half helps supply The Famous Grouse blend. This particular bottle is from Gordon & MacPhail and is bottled at 46%. I don’t have the bottle in front of me, because it was supplied by a friend, but based on my tasting notes I’d say it was aged in a refilled sherry cask. It’s a pale yellow in the taster and is pretty oily while not giving up much leg action. The nose started off sherry-forward, but those notes disappeared rather quickly and were replaced with molasses and toffee with some oak. Then, an earthy funk note wandered in and made me do a double take. Wet hay and band aid funk with hints of grassy fields. It wasn’t off-putting, just unexpected. The palate was creamy, caramel toffee and mixed nuts before yielding to hints of sherry and some harsh pepper notes. The finish was medium and hot (for 46%), went from oily to somewhat dry with bits of sherry and that band aid funk coming on the very back end. Overall, it’s not anything super intense. The funkiness was a surprise, but the full creamy mouth feel and toffee influence made it mostly enjoyable. I’d like to see what this stuff tastes like with another 7-8 years on it and from a first fill sherry or oak cask. Could be great stuff, I think. This one was middle of the road IMO. A big thanks to @Telex for supplying this one. A cool, obscure distillery that I wouldn’t have ever tried if it weren’t for our little tour. 3-3.25 stars for this dram. Cheers, my friends. * A+ and gold stars for everyone that read all the way through this one. I hope it made for an enjoyable read.