Glen Garioch
About the distillery
Glen Garioch is located in Oldmeldrum near Aberdeen in north-east Scotland and is considered among the oldest distilleries still operating in the country. Here, a Highland single malt is made with a distinct, full-bodied character, often in small batches and without chill-filtering. The distillery is interesting because it both carries a very long history and, at the same time, uses casks and releases to show how wide a range a classic Highland malt can cover.
History
Glen Garioch has been making whisky in Oldmeldrum since 1797, and the distillery itself highlights its position as one of the oldest operating in Scotland. The site lies in what is described as Aberdeenshire’s fruit bowl, and its identity is closely tied to the local Doric dialect, which is still spoken in the area. In more recent history, 1995 marks an important milestone, because Vintage 1995 was the last release in which the barley was peated with peat before the distillery moved into a period without smoke. After two years of silence, production resumed in 1997, and that year became the starting point for a new phase, which among other things led to the Renaissance series. In 2013, Virgin Oak arrived as the first Glen Garioch fully matured in virgin North American white oak casks, and later a £6 million investment in restoration and upgrades to the distillery in Oldmeldrum is mentioned.
Raw materials and production
Glen Garioch describes its whisky as non chill-filtered and produces it in small, valuable batches. The range includes both peated and unpeated expressions, and several of the vintage bottlings are used to show different sides of the house’s style. The core of the current range is Founder's Reserve and 12 Years Old, both matured on bourbon and sherry casks, while the vintage releases continue with bourbon, North American oak, Oloroso sherry, wine casks and virgin oak. The production philosophy is clearly shaped by quality rather than quantity, and the distillery selects individual casks when they are judged to be at their peak, instead of releasing new batches on an ongoing basis without further consideration. This results in a portfolio where craftsmanship is read through cask selection, the use of smoke, and the consistent use of small-batch releases.
Maturation and cask types
Maturation is one of Glen Garioch’s clearest signatures. Core expressions such as Founder's Reserve and 12 Years Old are based on bourbon and sherry casks, while the vintage bottlings range from pure bourbon casks to North American oak, Oloroso sherry and wine casks. Vintage 1978 shows the return of peat on bourbon cask, Vintage 1990 combines peat with bourbon and sherry, and Vintage 1995 is matured on first fill bourbon. Virgin Oak stands out by being fully matured in virgin North American white oak casks. The result is a distillery that actively uses the casks to shape style and character, rather than to hide it.
Whiskies
The core range consists of Founder's Reserve and 12 Years Old, both bottled at 48% and described as the house’s central expressions. In addition, there is a series of vintage releases and small-batch releases, ranging from 1978 up to 1999, as well as special bottlings such as 1998 Wine Cask Matured, 15 Years Old Renaissance and Virgin Oak. The range tells the story of a distillery that holds on to its classic Highland roots, but that at the same time uses special casks and standout single vintages to show variation in style, smoke and sweetness. The overall profile is rich, full-bodied and malt-driven, but with clear differences between the individual bottlings.
| Whisky | Type / series | Alcohol | Age | Cask and style | Flavour profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founder's Reserve | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Core Range | 48 % | Bourbon and Sherry | The classic Glen Garioch from the core range, matured on bourbon and sherry casks.; Nose: Warm amber; sweet vanilla, subtle spice, green apple and grapefruit.; Taste: Butter cream and vanilla, green apple skin and citrus cleanliness.; Finish: Elegant and subtle. | Current; Core range | |
| 12 Years Old | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Core Range | 48 % | 12 years | Bourbon and Sherry | A 12-year-old Highland malt, based on bourbon and sherry casks and non chill-filtered.; Nose: Sharp honey, heathery floral notes, poached pears and malted barley.; Taste: Crème brûlée, sweet ripe banana, light oakiness and pear fruitiness.; Finish: Long, smooth, creamy and fragrant. | Current; Core range |
| Vintage 1978 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Vintage Releases | 57.8 % | Bourbon; smoked/peated | A vintage release where the peat returned to the distillery’s Highland malt.; Nose: Pear drops, fruit loaf and dark chocolate.; Taste: Poached fruit, ripe red apples, hint of oak and Seville orange zest.; Finish: Pleasant wood-like spiciness. | Discontinued; 1320 bottles | |
| Vintage 1986 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Vintage Releases | 54.6 % | North American Oak; smoked/peated | A mature vintage release with clear spice, fruit and classic smoky character.; Nose: Smooth velvet-like cream and subtle coconut.; Taste: Woodspice, pungent peat smoke, sweet juicy pears and ripe banana. | Discontinued | |
| Vintage 1990 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Vintage Releases | 54.6 % | Bourbon and Sherry; smoked/peated | Peated vintage expressed through bourbon and sherry casks.; Nose: Honeycomb, chocolate truffles and fresh seasoning.; Taste: Treacle toffee, green apple peel and oak spice.; Finish: Gentle earthy peatiness. | Discontinued | |
| Vintage 1991 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Vintage Releases | 54.7 % | 19 years | North American Oak; smoked/peated | Dark and sweet expression with vanilla, citrus and a slight smoke note.; Nose: Sweet vanilla, butterscotch and honeycomb.; Taste: Orange peel, mocha and oak spice.; Finish: Warming heathery smokiness. | Discontinued |
| Vintage 1994 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Vintage Releases | 53.9 % | 17 years | North American Oak; smoked/peated | A floral, lightly smoked vintage from North American oak.; Nose: Subtle peat smoke and fresh Highland floral aromas.; Taste: Toffee, Demerara sugar and springtime Highland heather.; Finish: Lasting yet subtle warm smoking embers. | Discontinued |
| Vintage 1995 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Vintage Releases | 55.3 % | 1st Fill Bourbon; smoked/peated | The last peated barley in the distillery’s more recent history, matured in first fill bourbon.; Taste: Warm and spicy, with pancakes filled with baked banana and toffee sauce, mocha chocolate and warm golden syrup. | Discontinued | |
| Vintage 1997 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Vintage Releases | 56.7 % | 1st and 2nd fill bourbon barrels | Unsmoked vintage from the resumption of production in 1997.; Taste: Juicy, mouth-watering and creamy; spiced pear crumble, ripe banana, toffee, honeydew melon, ground nutmeg and allspice. | Discontinued | |
| Vintage 1999 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Vintage Releases | 56.3 % | Oloroso Sherry Casks | Small batch release with a clearly sherry-driven profile and dark sweetness.; Taste: Treacle toffee, chocolate, maple syrup, nutmeg, ginger spices, orange marmalade, dates, raisins, caramelised toffee and liquorice.; Finish: Long and deep. | Discontinued | |
| 1998 Wine Cask Matured | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Vintage Releases | 48 % | wine casks | Exclusively matured in wine casks and bottled in 2014.; Taste: Fruity, sweet and very spicy; chocolate malt, brambles, wild blueberries, plums, oak spices, nutmeg, ginger marmalade and heather honey.; Finish: Sweet and spicy. | Discontinued; 6000 bottles | |
| 15 Years Old Renaissance | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Vintage Releases | 51.9 % | 15 years | First chapter in a four-part series about the spirit’s development in casks after the resurgence in 1997.; Taste: Rich Highland toffee, creamy butterscotch, chocolate ginger biscuits, tangy citrus peel, honey-glazed baked apricots, cinnamon-spiced orange, smooth malted caramel and barley sugar.; Finish: Ginger marmalade on warm buttered granary toast. | Discontinued | |
| Virgin Oak | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Vintage Releases | 48 % | Virgin North American Oak | First release fully matured in virgin North American white oak casks.; Taste: Rich buttery malt, chocolate and spice, tangy orange, ginger marmalade, treacle syrup, rich chocolate cake, barley sugar and spice.; Finish: Long and warming. | Discontinued |
Style and flavour profile of the whiskies
Glen Garioch focuses on honey-sweet malt, vanilla and butterscotch in the core range, while several releases lean towards green apple, grapefruit and poached pears. There is also a clear spicy note in the form of woodspice, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon, and the peated expressions add heathery smoke, peat smoke and warm smoking embers. Overall, it produces a style that can be both creamy and fruity, but also dark, spiced and lightly smoked, depending on cask and vintage.
Visit the distillery
Glen Garioch invites the public in as a “Unique Location” and encourages visitors to visit the distillery in Oldmeldrum. However, the provided pages do not describe fixed opening hours, tour routes, tastings or booking requirements, so the specific visit programme cannot be read from here. Contact can be made via email to glen.garioch@beamsuntory.com.
Philosophy and craftsmanship
The distillery’s values come together around quality over quantity, small and rare batches, and a clear respect for classic craftsmanship. The whisky is non chill-filtered, and the expression is presented as true to the way the house works today and has done through generations. At the same time, Virgin Oak and the vintage releases show that the distillery also uses bold cask choices when creating distinctive bottlings.
Latest news
Announcing Virgin Oak – Sunday September 01st, 2013
Glen Garioch launched Virgin Oak as its first whisky fully matured in virgin North American white oak casks and encouraged people to celebrate the launch with a competition centred on important “first times”.