Glenturret 1990 Whiskyland Chapter Twenty-Nine 35 yo

 

 

 

41,5°

Distillery : The Glenturret - Highlands 

Refill Hogshead 

Independent Bottling 

By Decadent Drinks 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2026

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

It has been less than two years since the Whiskyland collection was launched, and we are already at chapter 29. And each time, these are very mature whiskies, sourced from exceptional casks. Here, a 35-year-old Glenturret, having spent its entire youth in a refill hogshead, allowing it to express itself fully. Except that a good portion of the alcohol has already evaporated, in fact it was time to bottle this one. 231 bottles were nevertheless taken from the cask. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Liquid honey, waxed wood, malted cereals, pine resin, spring freshness, buttered brioche, subtle floral notes. Creamy citrus, fresh exotic fruits, a pinch of iodine, hand cream. Slight minerality. On the palate, it is creamy and oily, an elegant woodiness, egg yolk, yellow plums, then fairly pronounced spices, nutmeg, clove. A very long finish but not particularly powerful, candied mirabelle plums, very ripe bananas, crushed wheat, more wax, cookie dough, a drop of caramel. 

 

In Short, 

The nose is superb, the rest is excellent, but its lack of power is still somewhat noticeable. It’s a truly beautiful bottling, showcasing the very essence of a distillery that remains all too little known. The price is, of course, very high, which is hardly surprising given its age. What can one say? We’d rather be millionaires. 

Score : 90 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Little Willie John - Made for Me

Glenturret 2013 The Cooper's Choice 9 yo c. 59

 

 

 

58°

Distillery : The Glenturret - Highlands

Bourbon Cask 

Independent Bottling 

By The Vintage Malt Whisky Co. Ltd

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Ruadh Maor Heavily Peated

 

 

 

Glenturret is a Highland distillery, and by reputation the oldest still in operation. They make unpeated and peated distillate, and this one is peated, but the ppm level is not mentioned. In my humble opinion, it should be around 25. Here the maturation is simple, in order to preserve all the purity of the distillate. 360 bottles were produced.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose seems to me to be very mild and not very peaty, but with good thickness and an interesting subtlety. Earthy, a bit dusty, woody, with gravel and silica. Rock glistening in the sun, some white fruits, pine needles. Full on the palate, with egg yolk, cereal, muesli. Toasted wheat, an ounce of vanilla, a pinch of salt. Lumpy spices. Long, powerful finish, spicy, dry earth, clove, a touch of cinnamon, white grape. Fine sand. Bushes and ferns. Icing sugar.

 

In Short, 

It's well done. A lovely earthy, country peat, and a very discreet cask, which lets the distillate speak for itself, but I don't know this distillery well, and I didn't pick out any markers. It's nevertheless quite fine, with just the right amount of power, and the price is right if you look hard enough. Worth a try.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Tedeschi Trucks Band - Anyhow

SMWS 2013 16.70 The Green-Fingered Blacksmith 8 yo

 

 

 

63,5°

Distillery : The Glenturret - Highlands

Refill Re-Charred Bourbon Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By The Scotch Malt Whisky Society 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated from 80 to 120 ppm

What they like to do at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, a trading company founded in 1983 by Pip Hills, is experimenting. For example, here we have a heavily peated Glenturret aged for only 8 years in a Re-Charred cask, that is to say passed a second time to the blowtorch before receiving the liquid. The peated Glenturret exists, it is even part of their Core Range. But it only claims 20 ppm at most. It was in 2009 that the very peaty experience was launched at Glenturret. They dry the barley with peat for three days, which gives a result that ranges from 80 to 120 ppm. The first bottlings of this nectar came out around 2018, but only independently, under the name Ruadh Maor, which would mean Red House in Gaelic. This is the secret of this 16.70, it should not be called Glenturret, but Ruadh Maor. I do not know the number of bottles put on sale.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Nose where charcoal takes a large part, it is significant but does not mask a certain sweetness, cream, genoise and braised blood oranges. Fruits from the orchard, green apples, Comice pears, on a cereal and earthy layer that is quite rustic. Lime, plastic, and some medicinal fragrances. In the mouth, it's successful, on grilled meat, with tomato sauce, the spices are rather strong, curry, black pepper, cumin, cloves. Once again, it's earthy and almost astringent. Long, thick, robust finish, it's like biting into lignite, pencil lead, mushrooms, loam.

 

In Short, 

Typical of the Highlands, very earthy and rural, and heavily peated, it reminds me a bit of Benriach, but bolder and more successful. It's all very interesting. This bottling is of course nowhere to be found, sold out a few days after its release, but I will be watching Ruadh Maor more closely from now on.

Score: 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Samantha Fish - Shake'em on Down