Glen Garioch launches oldest whisky in 5 years

Morrison Bowmore has launched a limited edition Glen Garioch Scotch whisky aged in Sherry casks for 40 years – the distillery’s oldest release since 2009.

Released exclusively with The Whisky Exchange to celebrate the retailer’s 15th anniversary, the malt whisky from cask number 4297 is described as having notes of dark chocolate, Oloroso Sherry, plum, almond and smoke.

“After 40 years, this is undoubtedly a full-bodied, Sherry influenced malt which really captures the essence of the Highlands,” said Rachel Barrie, master blender for Morrison Bowmore Distillers

“The palate is oily and mouth-coating with brambles and dry plum skins, and toasted walnut oil and tobacco leaf into the finish.”

The 54.3% single cask whisky, of which only 138 are available, has been selected through the distillery’s limited edition programme.

Sukhinder Singh, director of The Whisky Exchange, said: “We visited Glen Garioch Aberdeenshire’s distillery in search of a very special bottling; a one-off treat for our extremely knowledgeable and discerning customers to commemorate our 15th birthday.”

“Once we discovered this 1973 malt, matured solely in a Sherry butt, we looked no further. It’s a remarkable, small-batch release that symbolises Glen Garioch’s hand-crafted approach and will undoubtedly whet the appetite of all serious whisky aficionados.”

Each bottle of Glen Garioch 1973 carries an RRP of £899 and is available from The Whisky Exchange from this month.