Review by: The Muskox

I haven’t had all that much exposure to Glen Moray. Their distribution in Ontario is pretty crap, so the brand isn’t the ubiquitous cheap single malt that it is elsewhere. Of course, this bottling is quite different from the budget versions of Glen Moray. I’ve never seen a Sauternes-cask bottling from Cadenhead’s, so this should be interesting.

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Distillery: Glen Moray.

Bottler: Cadenhead’s.

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 52%. Cask strength.

Age: 23 years. Distilled in 1992. Bottled in April 2016.

Cask type: Sauternes white wine cask.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: Bright amber. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Sweet and thicc. Sunny syrupy sweetness: dripping honey, golden raisins, wine gums, plum sauce, poached pears, candied orange peel, and strawberries macerated with sugar. Foamy cappuccino, dark chocolate, and vanilla bean. Butterscotch pudding. Some rose and a little bit of parrafin. Slightly dusty-earthy, with a dunnage note coming through. Very slightly minty.

Palate: Thick, creamy texture. Fruity arrival, with extra-sweet orange (kumquat?), ripe melon, peach, and lime candies. Madeleines and honeycakes follow, with fragrant vanilla, dried rose petals, and some Earl Grey tea. It develops to bittersweet honey and old oak. Dark chocolate and something vaguely mushroomy. Cadbury Cream Eggs.

Finish: Medium-length and fragrant. Honey-soaked wood, vanilla fudge, barley sugar, roses, and pink Starburst. Grapefruit doused in sugar and more candied orange. Crystallized pineapple and candied ginger. Milk chocolate and cinnamon.

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Conclusion: A lovely Sauternes bomb. It’s got all the Sauternes goodness I look for: the sweet yellow fruit, the flowers, the slight earthiness, and of course, buckets of honey. Great richness and mouthfeel too, though the finish is maybe a bit shorter than I’d want. I like how it’s sweet, but not overwhelmingly sweet. I feel like people who aren’t Sauternes-cask lovers like I am might not like this one as much as I do. Ah well, those people are missing out.

Final Score: 87.

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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.