Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Glen Elgin.
Bottler: Cadenhead’s.
Region: Speyside.
ABV: 46%.
Age: 13 years. Distilled in 2009. Bottled in 2023.
Cask type: Ex-bourbon 12 years, Manzanilla 1 year.
Price: Seem to recall £15-20 for 200mL, though I’ve lost the receipt.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 3 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, regular-formatted notes taken further into the bottle past the halfway point, italicized notes taken towards the heel.
Nose: dusty malt, Fruit Roll-Ups, cherry Jolly Ranchers, green melon, old copper pennies, toffee, orange gummies.
Palate: Gummy LifeSavers, orange spice drops, lemon drops, some leafiness, polished brass, becomes creamier, oak pokes through a bit more but not overwhelmingly so.
Finish: medium-long ~ cherry Tootsie Roll Pops, dead leaves, bubblegum.
Conclusion: There’s a veritable candy store in this one, bringing up a parade of sweets remembered from my youth. It’s really enticing with the tart/sweet combo up front, unusually focused candied and fruity flavors, and these leafy and metallic hints in the back to give it some structure. I would not have guessed all this came from a Manzanilla finish…maybe that gave it the less-sweet structure to showcase its candy center? In any case, this one’s a success, and makes me want to seek out more Glen Elgin promptly.
Final Score: 86.
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.
Malt Runners 