Glentauchers (1991) Gordon & MacPhail Distillery Label

Review by: zSolaris

Distillery: Glentauchers.

Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail.

Region: Speyside.

Age: Either 15 or 16 years of age. Distilled in 1991 and bottled in 2007.

ABV: 43.0%.

Price: £50.00 at auction.

Color: 0.7, Amber. Natural Color and Non-Chill Filtered.

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Nose: It is nice, light, and fruity with tons of orchard fruits. Green grapes, green apples, and Korean pears are what stand out. It is on the sweeter side, a few of the sniffs were almost like sticking your head in a bag of confectioners sugar.

Palate: There is a bit of creaminess but it doesn’t seem to come on every sip. Orchard fruits, namely green grapes, are the stand out here. A bit of blue cotton candy and frangipane (the stuff that almond croissants are filled with) accompany the fruit. Everything is a touch muted.

Finish: Medium in length. Here this dram takes an interesting turn toward spice heavy (not spicy as in hot). You get a spice blend that includes rainbow peppercorn, a bit of clove, and a few other things I can’t quite place.

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Conclusion: Gordon & MacPhail for me sit in a pretty middle of the road tier for me as far as Independent Bottlers go. This Glentauchers really demonstrates why they are that for me. Here they clearly have a really nice whisky and they’ve just bottled it at a strength where it just can’t shine. The nose teases a delicious sugary orchard fruit bomb. The palate tries to deliver that and while it does deliver the right notes, but the punching power just isn’t there. The finish delivers an unusual turn in flavors, going from fruity to spice heavy, but I am still left thinking that it could have been much more with some more power behind it. Overall, tasty and delightful to drink at £50 but I wish it was bottled at a higher proof.

Rating: 81.

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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.