Sixteen full years can be transformative, and this Whisky is proof.
The Glen Garioch distillery (pronounced Glen Gēērē in Doric Gaelic) was founded in 1797. It is located in Oldemldrum, Scotland — a small town in the Highlands famous for producing some of the finest barley in all of Scotland. The distillery is one of the oldest too and is operated by Morrison Bowmore Distillers, which is in turn owned by Suntory. Glen Garioch has been in continuous operation since 1797… well, almost. Your see, when the ownership changed hands in 1995 there were two “dark” years when new production was completely stopped, the processes tweaked, and the peat removed from the malting. So you really have two Glen Garioch Whisky styles… pre-1995 and post-1997. Both versions have their fans and we say let your taste buds decide.
Glen Garioch 1998 Wine Cask Matured has been exclusively matured in French wine casks for 16 years. It is VERY common for fine single malt Whisky to be “finished” is wine casks in order to add flavour and complexity. But this one has done all of its aging in those wine casks — some of the finest available. That means that this Whisky (bottled in 2014) jumps out at you with those signature flavours and an intense aroma. And the 48% ABV, ensures that you taste everything.