Glen Garioch Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 1998, 27 Years Old, 70CL, 49.3% ABV

We recently received a butt of Glen Garioch 1998, purchased blind based on the outstanding quality of previous casks from this vintage and with confidence, as the purchase order specified a 1st Fill Sherry Butt.

However, upon arrival and during our routine sensory analysis (someone’s gotta do it), it became immediately apparent from visual assessment that this was not typical of 1st fill Oloroso or PX sherry, as we had initially expected.

Instead, the spirit presented pronounced saline notes, followed by chamomile and fresh bread dough – characteristics that strongly suggest this cask is, in fact, a 1st fill Fino sherry butt. We are now highly confident in that conclusion.

The combination of distillate, time and oak interplay beautifully here. The nature of buying blind can be a bit risky, but very often those risks pay off in very interesting ways.