Glen Moray 16 YO

Glen Moray 16 YO, 40 %

We have published more than 1000 reviews on this blog by now, but there are still quite a few distilleries we have not covered. One of them is the Speyside distillery Glen Moray. Glen Moray is located on the banks of the river Lossie, outside the town Elgin. The distillery was established in 1897. It was closed between 1910 and 1923, and has been in operation ever since. The current owners, La Martiniquaise, bought the distillery in 2008. La Martiniquaise is the second largest French spirits company, after Pernod Ricrad. In whisky they also own the brands Label 5, Glen Turner, Old Virginia and Sam Barton.

The production capacity at Glen Moray is being increased dramatically during 2015, from 3.3 million liters to 6.5 million lpa. Since 2009 Glen Moray has produced a small portion of peated spirit - 215 000 liters in 2014.

The Glen Moray 16 YO is part of their core range. It is, strangely, not available to buy in Norway, but in Sweden it is available at SEK 429 (item number 10431).

Nose (21/25): Light and midly fruity. Almonds, leather, vanilla, milk chocolate, marshmallows, apples and dried fruits.

Taste (20/25): Light, smooth and soft mouthfeel on the attack. Becomes a bit more robust and spicy upon closer examination. Black pepper, fruits and slightly burnt caramel.

Finish (21/25): Mildy oaky with hints of nuts. The slightly burn caramel is still present. It is a little minty, and there's a whiff of smoke lingering in the shadows right at the end. Medium long finish.

Balance (21/25): A soft an well-balanced dram that makes for easy drinking. It does not really make a lasting impression but it is decent.

Score (83/100)

Sláinte! - Thomas