Glen Garioch : 22 Year Old Hogshead Cask N°140 Orcines 1995

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the 22 Years Old Hogshead Cask N°140 Orcines 1995 by Glen Garioch

Tasting

Nose

The nose is complex and generous, blending indulgent notes of almond and brandied cherry with a floral touch of chamomile. Vegetal accents of dried leaves and gentian follow, along with a hint of liquorice. Aromas of caramel, vanilla, honey, apple, citrus, dried apricot, pear, orange, cappuccino and light walnut enrich this palette, while a subtle hint of smoke emerges with aeration.

Palate

On the palate, the whisky is powerful and dynamic, carried by a rich structure and dense texture. Caramel and vanilla open the palate, followed by apple, spiced oak, malt, a light minty touch and liquorice, all lifted by a floral note. The noble bitterness of gentian and liquorice adds tension to the whole. The long finish lingers on caramel, vanilla, almond, spiced oak and a discreet trace of smoke.

Pairings and Tasting Occasions

This whisky is ideally enjoyed neat, perhaps with a little water to release its full aromatic complexity, but without ice in order to preserve its rich texture. A tulip glass or a copita will concentrate the aromas and allow you to appreciate its progression on the palate. Its aromatic richness naturally lends itself to lightly sweetened desserts made with stone fruits, almonds or dark chocolate, or to lightly matured hard cheeses and fine charcuterie, whose fat and salt play off the richness and smoky touch of the distillate. It is particularly well suited to a slow tasting late in the evening, in a calm setting conducive to observing how it evolves in the glass.

Mixology

Given its age, its single cask status and its bottling without colouring or chill-filtration, this whisky is not intended for mixology. It reveals its full potential when enjoyed neat, without artifice.

A powerful, delicately peated Highland single malt

Glen Garioch, one of the oldest distilleries in the Scottish Highlands

Founded in 1797 in Oldmeldrum, in the heart of Aberdeenshire, Glen Garioch is among the oldest Scotch whisky distilleries still in operation. Located in the Garioch valley, nicknamed the "Granary of Aberdeenshire" for the quality of its barley, it draws its water from the singular spring at Coutens Farm. Its history, marked by numerous changes of ownership and periods of closure, has led it to its current ownership by Morrison Bowmore Distillers, part of the Suntory Global Spirits group. Since 2021, the distillery has reinvested in traditional methods, such as floor malting and direct firing of the stills, while modernising its energy performance. Glen Garioch is thus distinguished by a robust, malty Highland malt style, produced in small quantities for the most discerning single malt enthusiasts.

This 22 Years Old Hogshead Cask N°140 Orcines 1995, a historic single cask from Glen Garioch

This 22 Years Old Hogshead Cask N°140 Orcines 1995 Whisky is a single malt from a single hogshead cask, distilled in 1995 by the Glen Garioch distillery in the Scottish Highlands. This vintage is of particular significance as it belongs to the last generation of the brand's distillates made from lightly peat-smoked barley, before the distillery adopted an unpeated style from 1997. After 22 years of maturation in a hogshead cask, this whisky was selected and bottled by The Whisky Lodge under its Orcines range, the only Scotch whisky range claimed to be overseen from distillation through to bottling by a French player. In keeping with the philosophy of the range, this single cask is bottled at 46% ABV, without colouring or chill-filtration, in order to faithfully preserve the character of the distillate. The label, made of cotton, has also been recognised with several design awards. This whisky is aimed at enthusiasts wishing to explore a specific chapter in the history of Glen Garioch, the transition between its historic peated style and its contemporary unpeated profile, through an independent, rare expression true to the spirit of the distillery.