Review #337 - SMWS 85.70 'A Spaniard In Here Lurks' - Glen Elgin 15 Year
Glen Elgin - quite challenging to find in OB form, though it is a key component of the White Horse blend. Because of that, we often have to turn to independent bottlings to get a taste of this single malt. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was the bottler here, and they matured this spirit for 13 years in an ex-bourbon cask before finishing it for 2 years in a first fill ex-Oloroso sherry hogshead.
Glen Elgin has the potential to make interesting spirit - they use worm tub condensers, which often leads to denser, more oily spirit. They also have longer than average fermentation times, which could lead to flavors of light fruit, as well as an estery/floral side.
SMWS 85.70 'A Spaniard In Here Lurks' - Glen Elgin 15 Year
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 165 (2023)
Age Statement: 15 Years
Strength: 57.8% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon hogshead, finished in a first fill ex-Oloroso sherry hogshead
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled July 21, 2006; 265 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 7 months; bottles at 100% (blind tasting), 80% (blind tasting), 70%, and 40% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Dripping with wine and baked goods - a rich nose. Fresh bread, cardamom, anise, and dark chocolate give way to juicy fruits - jammy berries, grapes, strong plum notes, and grapefruit. There's a minty, herbal quality at times, and a bit of old polished oak.
Palate: Spirity, warm, rich, with a thick mouthfeel. Oily and perfumed, with some mature oak, but fruits are really the focus: cherries and raisins, dried cranberry, grapefruit, savory orange citrus, and strawberries. Clove, cane sugar, and molasses add baking notes; in time, softer flavors of coffee ice cream, creamy tropical fruit, and toasty oak can be teased out.
Finish: Medium-long and still viscous, coating the mouth. Blackberries, candied pecans, demerara sugar, orangey fruits, wine grapes - all sorts of strong sherry influence remains. We found interesting hints of copper and creme brulee, and the purple fruit flavors turn more tart; in the aftertaste, there's a great mature polished oak flavor.
Final Note: This was our first experience with Glen Elgin, and it's lovely. Though the length of the finish was only 2 years, the first fill Oloroso cask was very active - there was a strong emphasis on sherry notes. Still, the softer, lighter spirit character with its floral notes could still be found, especially in the nose and the start of the palate; the oak profile was also quite mature, especially for 15 years.
All of that said, this was an expensive bottle - $165, so $11 per year of aging, which is pushing the limit. Packed with flavor, but value is just okay.
Our Average Rating: 8.2 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.93
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other reviews from distilleries in the Elgin area:
Review #250 - SMWS Distillery 64 Rare Release 'Luscious Velvet' - Mannochmore 15 Year
Review #239 - SMWS 7.267 'Nomad's Tent Vibe' - Longmorn 12 Year
Review #222 - Single Malts of Scotland Reserve Casks Linkwood 13 Year
Review #151 - SMWS 71.83 "Amuse Your Bouche" - Glenburgie 10 Year
Review #65 - SMWS 39.217 'Crunchy and Homely' - Linkwood 8 Year
