Glen Garioch 1989 ‘Cream of the Crop’ (Wemyss Malts)

I already reviewed a Glen Garioch 1989 from Wemyss Malts in February this year, and now there’s a new one from the same bottler, nicknamed Cream of the Crop.

It’s from a hogshead, typically a refill cask made from recoopered staves from bourbon barrels.

Glen Garioch 1989 (46%, Wemyss Malts 2016, hogshead, 261 btl.)

Nose: a very nice fruitiness with vanilla marshmallows. Baked apples, sweet oranges, hints of honey as well. Melons, hints of tangerines. Yellow berries. It’s not all fruits though, there’s a fresh, minty side and a slight mineral note in the background. Beautiful.

Mouth: rich and creamy, with lots of fruity notes again, perhaps a tad more citrusy now. Oranges, apples, limes, some pastry notes. Light tobacco, hints of mint and herbal honey. Back to barley sugar and vanilla.

Finish: long. Reminds me of cinnamon rolls and vanilla cream, mixed with spicy / leafy notes.

This one revolves around the freshness of American oak, without obvious woody notes. Fruits and creaminess. Simply lovely and attractively priced. Around € 120.

Score: 89/100