We had a first look at some of the bottlings from Fruitful Spirits back in November 2023. They were the first to introduce us to Bonnington distillery for instance.
Now we’ll investigate three new releases: a well-matured (refill) Glenrothes 1996, a first fill Glen Garioch 2011 and a heavily sherried Cigar Malt 2010. We can rule out The Dalmore, since this is apparently a Speyside single malt.
Head over to their website for more information or to buy a bottle.
Glenrothes 28 yo 1996 (51,6%, Fruitful Spirits 2024, refill hogshead #704845, 72 btl.)
Nose: nicely aromatic, with hints of sunscreen and fabric softeners. Then nice waxy notes, lime cordial, unripe oranges, peaches and white grapes. A whiff of marshmallow and honey. Also sunflower oil, grist, light toffee and muesli.
Mouth: lightly tropical fruits (pineapple) with citrus zest and plenty of oak polish. Malty notes with honey. Then it gets a little woody (resinous pine) and green, with a subtle acerbity. Still a bit perfumy. Then also oolong tea towards the end.
Finish: long, darker now, w ith hints of chocolate, liquorice, clove and spicy oak.
Entertaining whisky, pretty much in line with that quirky sister cask I tried from The Malt Universe. This one is a bit more classic, but it shares the same kind of perfumed woody side. Hard to score. Currently availalable from Milroy’s.
Glen Garioch 13 yo 2011 (51,2%, Fruitful Spirits 2024, first fill bourbon barrel #2072, 237 btl.)
Nose: crisp orchard fruits. Unripe pears, with hints of heather and grass, as well as a nice dustiness (grist and sesame oil) and some fatty notes. Naked barley. Then sliced apples, lemony notes and ginger.
Mouth: nice weight again, even though the profile is extremely natural, with more of these gristy and zesty elements, along with chalky notes and gravel. Tea biscuits, lemon juice, apples and mild barley sugars. Crisp ginger and a slight peppery spike, with a minty wave in the end.
Finish: medium long, clean and zesty, with green apple and a faint caramel note on top.
The fatty texture stands out here, especially since it’s an otherwise fairly naked whisky. Maybe not for beginners, but I like this selection. Still available from Master of Malt for instance. Score: 87/100
The Cigar Malt 14 yo 2010 (53,4%, Fruitful Spirits 2024, first fill Pedro Ximénez sherry hogshead #645, 252 btl.)
Nose: rich and clean sherry, with a really good sweet and sour balance. Full of raisins, prunes, red berries, Mars bars, chocolate cake, brioche and toffee. Light citrusy sparkles. Then a little tobacco, hints of rich armagnac and a whiff of potting soil in the distance.
Mouth: same sweet and juicy style, albeit a tad darker. Soaked raisins, toffee and treacle, redcurrants and caramelized apples. Tobacco notes with earthy touches. Then some sour spices, gingerbread and light leathery notes, as well as mild hints of wood char.
Finish: medium long, on chocolate coated raisins, toffee and roasted nuts.
This should work really well alongside a cigar indeed. Plenty of sweetness from the Pedro Ximénez, but I also like the juicy sourness that accompanies it. A great cask. Score: 88/100