Highland 27 (1994) Gleann Mor

Review by: Raygun

A “mystery” Highland which is reputed to be Clynelish. This was an exclusive for Royal Mile Whiskies bottled by Gleann Mor. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.

Distillery: Unnamed Highland (rumored Clynelish) 

Bottler: Gleann Mor   

Region/style: Highlands single malt Scotch

ABV: 50.1%. Cask strength.  

Age: 27 years. Distilled in 2008, bottled in 2021. 

Cask type: Bourbon cask, 302 bottles

Color: 0.8 deep gold. Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.

Nose: Floral, malty, and waxy. Easy to believe it’s Clynelish. Very fruity as well. Starfruit, Asian pear, apricot, and peach. A hint of bubblegum, too.   

Palate: Nice texture. The fruity theme continues. Apricot, peach, Asian pear, and golden kiwi. Pleasant honey sweetness. A subtle herbal flavor and some flinty minerality. Develops very well over time; finds its groove better after around 30 minutes in the glass.  

Finish: A little muskmelon funk pops up. The fruit continues, and again that little herbal accent adds something interesting. Green tea. Not overly oaky; likely a refill cask. 

Conclusion: Very nice. Maybe not the most Clynelish-y, but I don’t have any trouble believing that’s what it is. In any case, it’s a great example of a well-aged bourbon cask. Had time to develop a lot of flavor. Some tropical aspects melding with herbal and tea flavors, with a bit of mineral. All goes together very well. 

Buy a bottle? Will be hard to find now.

Score: 85

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
  • 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)

Published by Raygun

Unknown's avatar

I drank Scotch occasionally (mostly at family gatherings) for years, but started getting more interested after an introduction and tasting from a Scottish acquaintance. That led to buying my first bottle (Highland Park 12). Now 600+ spirits later, Scotch is still my first love, but I drink other whisky and dabble in brandy as well.

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