Glen Garioch 12 (2008) Old Particular

Review by: Raygun

Old Particular is a Douglas Laing label. It’s sort of a mid-range brand, above Provenance and a level below Xtra Old Particular. Typically bottled at 48.4%, but store picks like this don’t follow that. This is a bottling from K&L. I’ve had half a dozen or so Glen Garioch expressions. Never been a particular favorite of mine. The 12 OB is a nice middle of the road bottle. Here’s a 12 IB to compare. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 20 minutes.

Distillery: Glen Garioch  

Bottler: Douglas Laing for K&L  

Region/style: Highlands single malt Scotch

ABV: 52.6%. Cask strength. 

Age: 12 years old. Distilled in October 2008 and bottled in September 2021.      

Cask type: Refill bourbon barrel 

Color: 0.4 jonquil. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.

Nose: Citrusy and somewhat flinty. Orange marmalade, hay, and some pretty characteristic mineral. A yeasty, bready smell.                         

Palate: More barnyard than I expected, with a funky sort of yeast flavor. Hay, vanilla, and mineral. Less orange, more grapefruit. Some sort of cleaning product. Very stripped down with minimal cask influence.       

Finish: Slightly chemical here as well. More tart citrus with a little toffee. Again very little cask, but not especially malty either. Flint and something metallic. Tastes even younger than it is. 

Conclusion: Interesting more than good. Very unrefined. A refill cask is an unusual choice for something this young, and it makes me wonder why it was bottled at this age. Could have used more time in my opinion. It’s definitely got some rough edges to it. The citrus is nice anyway. 

Score: 73

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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