Review by: Raygun

Picked this up at the Cadenhead’s shop in Edinburgh. Had another really nice Ord from Cadenhead’s several years ago. It’s a reliable distillery for me, showing well in bourbon. Figured this one was worth a shot. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: Glen Ord     

Bottler: Cadenhead’s   

Region/style: Highlands single malt Scotch

ABV: 56.2%. Cask strength.   

Age: 10 years. Distilled 2008 and bottled in May 2019. 

Cask type: Bourbon hogshead, 234 bottles.

Color: 0.3 pale gold. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.

Price: $63

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Nose: Beautifully malty, with a grassy and floral side and a touch of yogurt. Good amount of vanilla, like a vanilla cake. But not so sweet.                   

Palate: Great body to it. Malt, some grass, and a good dose of caramel. There’s a definite creaminess to it, more like vanilla pudding or ice cream now with a sprinkle of lemon zest. Not particularly hot, but develops well with water. More caramel, a little peach, and mint. This has summer written all over it.   

Finish: Malty as before. A little tart, like lemon and vanilla yogurt. Caramel and there’s the grass again. There’s an undercurrent of spice: maybe coriander and white pepper. A few drops of water amps up the caramel and brings out more grass.    

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Conclusion: Every once in a while, you get a bottle that does exactly what you want. This is one for me. Just a no-frills bourbon cask; not very complex, but nails what it does. Perfect for sitting out on the porch on a pleasant evening. It’s not very challenging and doesn’t demand dissecting every nuance. It’s just good sipping.

Score: 78

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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)