Review by: TOModera

Special thanks to muaddib99 for the swap for this one, much appreciated!

Let’s be honest: When most of us hear of a commemorative bottle that is NAS, we don’t automatically think “Wow, that’s going to be amazing!”

We think… well…. that’ll cost a bit more for almost the same. And a little bit of that drunk child inside all of us dies a little. Because this should be like the gold version of original Legend of Zelda, not a gold plastic version of the master sword with the Triforce worn off

So Glen Garioch 1797 Founder’s Reserve is one such bottle. It’s the second in the traditional line of Glen Garioch, with the 12 being the other. In 1997 they started back up again, no longer peating their whisky. This version replaced the 15 year, which you can find my review at the bottom.

Let’s see if this is worthy of Wisdom, Courage, and Power.

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Distillery: Glen Garioch Distillery.

Bottler: Distillery Bottling.

Region: Highland.

ABV: 48%.

Age: Unknown.

Cask type: Unknown.

Price: $59.85 (CAD).

Color: Light Amber.

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Nose: Lemon, honey, cardamon, melon, ginger, perfume, nectarine

Nice strong nose. The kind of nose you’d expect to rise up in a group of thieves and take over. Or be a pig wizard, we can’t keep it straight.

The honey takes centre stage on this one. Keep that in mind if you pick it up, as that’ll be the main note in the nose.

Taste: Peach, dry, yeast, leather, grape, allspice, cantaloupe

Very dry, but balanced dryness. There’s the sweetness that balances it.

It’s wise to have balance. Granted it would also be wise to attempt to setup traps to guard yourself against an attacking madman that keeps happening over and over, so maybe wisdom isn’t working that well.

Finish: Butterscotch, butter, light cinnamon, blackberries, dry, oak, peanuts

Sweet, buttery finish, with more dry fruit flavours. It’s a courageous mixture at the end, with strong elements having the guts to come forward.

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Conclusion: You’ll have to check out my link to my past review on the 15, or just take my word for it: This is a slight improvement over the 15 year. It’s not just a commemorative money grab, it’s a good NAS whisky for a decent price.

Final Score: 82.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.