Review by: Raygun

Glen Moray mostly has a reputation for being cheap. Not many distilleries have multiple single malt expressions at under $50 (sometimes under $40). I don’t think I’ve had any of the OBs, but tried the occasional IB. This is by far the oldest I’ve had, a sherry cask from Thompson Brothers. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: Glen Moray  

Bottler: Thompson Brothers  

Region/style: Speyside single malt Scotch 

ABV: 45.9%.  

Age: 28 years. Distilled on May 15 1990, “removed” in December 2018, and “rescued” in December 2022. 

Cask type: Sherry, 78 bottles. Seems like an extremely leaky cask.

Color: 1.7 burnt umber. Natural color and non-chillfiltered.

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Nose: Reminds me of Armagnac. Grapes and blackberries; very bramble-y in fact. Prunes, black tea. Got some serious wood to it, and some florals. Like orange blossoms.     

Palate: Chocolate, stewed blueberries, blackberries, Chinese black plums, raisins. I feel like I get a slight wisp of peat. There’s an unusual sort of spice to it. A little Mexican in a way. Actually a bit of epazote now that I think of it. Pu’er tea. Quite tannic. A hint of farmy and earthy flavors. 

Finish: The tannic theme continues. Sweet as well, with some ancho chile. More blueberries and blackberries, with prunes. Does seem to have a touch of peat. Maybe it’s the earthy flavors confusing me.    

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Conclusion: Very oaky and tannic, while not tasting that old. Lots of cask influence. I know Glen Moray does some peated spirit, but no idea if this contains any of it. Maybe it was just in my head. Wouldn’t be the first time. Not the first time I’ve gotten Armagnac-like notes from a sherry cask either. It’s got a definite intensity to it, even though I wouldn’t call it a sherry bomb. Has some nice ingredients to it, but they didn’t quite meld together as much as I’d have liked. 

Score: 81

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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)