Glen Keith 1992 (The Nectar / Whisky Fair / Tasting Fellows) + Glen Keith 1995 (Liquid Treasures)

Three sister casks of Glen Keith 1992 in a direct comparison today. All of them are 21 years old and bottled in 2013-2014. I had some other 1992s lined up but I feared it would become too boring, so I decided to throw in the new Glen Keith 1995 in the Liquid Treasures series.

 

 

Glen Keith 21 yo 1992 (50,9%, The Nectar of the Daily Drams 2013)

Nose: half fruity, half grassy. Pear, apple and gooseberries. Soft vanilla and marzipan. Then some hay and dried yellow flowers. Hints of clay as well. The grassy touches are joined by mild spices from the oak.

Mouth: the wood becomes more prominent now. It’s still fruity but there’s also ginger, pepper and liquorice. A bit of a tangy alcoholic kick as well, which limits the space for other aromas. Fruits and grasses.

Finish: medium, with sweet herbs, marzipan and lemon candy.

Around € 115. Maybe still available if you look around.
Score: 86/100

 

 

 

 

Glen Keith 21 yo 1992
(48,2%, The Whisky Fair 2014, bourbon barrel, 201 btl.)

Nose: slightly warmer, more honeyed and beehivey, with less of the dried grasses. As if a little Caperdonich 72 was added to the Daily Dram. Hints of tropical fruits and vanilla. Traces of strawberries and mirabelles. Nicer but maybe a bit simpler.

Mouth: shopping in the fruit department. Banana, juicy pear, tangerines, papaya. Slightly Irish actually. Vanilla marshmallows. Melon candy. Light ginger and pepper from the oak. Great surprise, utterly fruit.

Finish: quite long, still very fruity en seductive, with a hint of drying oak.

Around € 120. Still available in some places.
Score: 89/100

 

 

Glen Keith 21 yo 1992
(49,5%, Tasting Fellows 2013, bourbon barrel #120610, 180 btl.)

Nose: again a warmer, fruitier version. Apricots, yellow plums, a little pineapple and papaya even. Nice beeswax and oak polish in the background. Touches of bubblegum as well. Great fruit basket.

Mouth: a mix of the above, which means a lot of warm fruity notes, with a bit more oak spices. Mocha and a hint of caramel too. Vanilla cake. Nutmeg  and pepper towards the end. The fruits becomes slightly more zesty / grapefruity now.

Finish: long, fruity and spicy, with the return of grassy notes and firm oak.

Around € 100 back then. Sold out.
Score: 88/100

 

 

Glen Keith 20 yo 1995 (48,6%, Liquid Treasures ‘Travel to Mars’ 2015, bourbon hogshead)

Nose: quite different. There’s some pear and yellow apple, but it’s missing the warm fruits of the others. Instead it’s full of malty notes, coupled to unripe banana and some vegetal notes, as if it hadn’t lost it new-make notes yet. Funny how maturation can work out so differently. Lemon peel as well.

Mouth: similar green, unripe fruits. Pears and green banana. Icing sugar. Malt cookies. Barley sugar with hints of pepper and ginger.

Finish: medium short, grainy, with candied lemon and pepper.

Around € 120. Still available.
Score: 81/100

 

 

 

The Daily Dram bottling comes last in the trio. It’s the most alcoholic and it misses the exotic touches of the other 1992s. The other two are virtually the same on the nose, but the Whisky Fair bottling seems the fruitiest on the palate. Both excellent whiskies though, if you fancy fruit bombs.

The 1995 is entirely different, it seems so much more immature although it’s only one year younger.