Distilled at the Glen Ord Distillery in 2012 and bottled in 2022. This 9-Year-Old Glen Ord has been finished in Ruby Port for 12 months by indie bottler Càrn Mòr having spent the previous 8 years in First Fill Bourbon. Naturally coloured and non-chill filtered.
Appearance: Diluted ale, honey gold with an orange hue. Nice and viscous, an oily fill quickly covers the inside of the glass and morphs into thick legs. A hairline swirl mark quickly beads and forms a number of teardrops.
Nose: Strawberry jam and Nutella sandwiches, orchard fruits and honey.
The ABV is bang on, at least on the nose.
Gentle Christmas spices swirl around in support of the sweet notes. Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. The sweetness becomes more confectionery as the dram matures. Starburst fruit chews. There’s also a caramel note adding a welcome layer of mellow sweetness.
It’s a great nose, really friendly.
Palate: Not a hugely oily mouthfeel, a little on the thin side even. The sweetness, on the palate, becomes a bit sour and loses the friendly confectionary element, which is a shame. There’s some butteriness, too but it’s quite subdued.
The chocolate and caramel notes continue from the nose, bringing a nice mellow sweetness.
The dram does improve as it matures and the more chocolaty notes take centre stage.
Finish: Medium in length. The chocolate element is joined by a subtle black pepper note, along with buttered toast.
Overall: It’s a very pleasant dram and about the right price (£60ish). Nothing special but a good everyday sipper.
