Glen Garioch 12 Year Old

I discovered this beauty about 3 years ago and it’s still as amazing as it was then. It takes about. 1/3 of the bottle down and letting it sit at that level for a month or two to let the real surprises come out, and a complexity that just keeps on giving. Sweet, oaky, and a little bit of créme brulee on the nose and finish. A step below cloyingly sweet I can sip this with a dash of water alone or as a precursor to some peated Islay’s on a flight night. Slainthé!

24th October 2019

Nice and simple , this stuff is great balananced full bodied glass !

1st October 2019

I'm new to whisky, but happy with this bottle.

The 48% makes it a bit harsh, but its smooth otherwise. Smells of jammy fruits and a touch of caramel. I usually drink scotch straight, but I found this one was improved by a few drops of water. Not the best value at it's price of ~$70 CAD though.

11th September 2019

Nose with dark berries, mint and a heavenly sherry fog, but it's also earthiness there. The taste is a full delivery of a taste wave of a kind of metallic caramel and toasted oak, and i love oakiness. Dried fruit, hint of plums, sherry, spice. Quite long and sweet finish with a salty feeling on the lips. 48% is a respectable level, but you can drink it neat or with a little spoon of water.

Overall a sweet and well balanced whisky, and it has to be one of the very best 12 year old whiskies.

2nd March 2019

I've had this whisky several times and it has never been a disappointment. It's a 12 year old, non-chillfiltered @ 48% - which is great - but it does have colouring added - which is not quite so good - but don't let that stop you trying this great whisky. Frankly, it should be better known and more popular but I suppose it does come from a Highland distillery that's a bit of the beaten whisky track. Even at 48%, it's smooth enough to drink without water but a drop does open it up a bit and lets the sweetness come through a bit more, combining well with the toasty oak and dried fruit flavours, with a finish that is long and satisfying.

21st December 2018

Bought a 1-liter bottle of this and am glad I did!
On the nose was sherry and Japanese ume-shu (plum liquor), malt and very subtle notes of toffee, vanilla and rum.
On the palate was bourbon cask, liquor-infused fruit and toffee. I also detected, of all things, a taste like steamed spinach!
The finish was long, and you can taste the cask.
After a few drops of water, more maltiness, and the fruit becomes more pronounced. Let it sit for a few minutes and the aromas really come out.
Healthy 48% ABV, too.

11th August 2018

Reminds me alot of Glendronach, especially the 8 yo Hielan. In comparison to The Hielan, the 4 yo age difference makes a huge difference in taste. The sherry and the bourbon casks are clearly present and make a nice marriage. Glen Garioch is a lot smoother than The Hielan and smoother than most Glendronach's overall. This 'smoothness' does come with a price however; GD, to me, has a bit more character. Nevertheless, I highly reccomended this whisky to any GD fan.

4th July 2018

Rather good this one and at 48% lots of bang for yer buck.Nice flavours and quite a long finish.Well worth a try.Has received 90/100 from Ralfy,so must be good!!!😎

20th May 2018

Each drinker has their own views on tastes, smells and looks of each whisky they try..some want to drink it, some to savour it and others to just enjoy it for what it is.
All I can say is I was blown away by this as a single malt. It was a real surprise. I never expected such a taste sensation.......just sorry it wasn't out of a cut glass tumbler (my prefered drinking vessel crafted as carefully as its contents).

15th December 2017

Fastastic whisky. Punchy, fruity, lovely long finish and beautifully smooth for a 12yr!

22nd November 2017

My new Breakfast Scotch ;)

14th November 2017

It's wonderful. I'm thinking it might be my new favourite. Very flavourful for a highland malt.

7th April 2017

Fantastic .. If you did a blind tasting you would say it was a lot older than a 12yr old...
Highly recommended

14th March 2017

Took a chance and wow! Like this alot. Spicy, creamy, smooth and lasts a long time. I prefer as do my buds that adding a drop of water to it cuts the alcohol just a smidge to make it more enjoyable.. Excellent!!!

27th November 2016

Similar to an Oban with the smoke I find Oban is lacking. Not overly smoky, nice spicy taste, but very smooth for 48%. Great find for the price.

12th October 2016

Like this one alot. Come Friday, I'll likely get another or two...

31st August 2016

A perfect marriage between bourbon and whiskey..

6th February 2016

This is a very good, well balanced whisky. Lovely feel in the mouth, strong malt flavour, vanilla, honey, citrus, cinnamon and sherry. I agree with most of the other reviewers that it represents good value but if you're going to award 5* at this level, what are you going to give a really good whisky?

22nd December 2015

Extremely good whisky. Non chill filtered and bottled at 48%. No muddled or overpowering flavours, just rich, clean barley & honey notes. Smooth & creamy. Very mild sweetness from the bourbon & sherry, perfect for my liking. Needs just a touch of cold water to tame the 48% strength.

This is a down-to-earth whisky with well defined flavours. Outstanding.

21st November 2015

Among the best 12 year old you can buy.

26th September 2015

If you like it well balanced, fruity and nutty, with a touch of vanilla you have found a very nice whisky with good value for money. Some of the ratings here seems to be made by people who are not familiar with the typical region of Scotland and it's products, and a whisky without adding some whater will simply not reveal it's real character. Keep up the good craftsmanship Glen Garioch!

13th July 2015

Bananas and dried fruit on the nose. Needs water to open up. Rich mouth feel, a bit oily. Some oaky spice on delivery. Clean finish.

18th April 2015

This little dram took a lot of patience to dissect. It definitely needs water to bring out all of the qualities stored inside the 48% strength. I noticed no one has presented tasting notes, so for what it's worth, here is what I found.

Neat - Nose: difficult to find anything at first, but after a few minutes there's vanilla butter cream, almond, amaretto, cake icing, raisins and very ripe pear. Palate: extremely smooth and creamy, but un-discernible and very one-noted. Finish: quick, hot, sharp, with some spiced oak, but quite numbing from the 48% strength.

With water - Nose: butterscotch, cocoa powder, damp leather, golden raisins, gingerbread, with honey and delicate florals lingering faintly in the background. Palate: lightly sulphured, chocolaty and oaked. Finish: peppered woodiness becomes longer and slightly honeyed, with a nip of dryness and quick whiff of smoke at the very, very end.

If you love this, great! But the sulphured, dry peppery notes were a bit much for me in this one.

21st February 2015

Well-priced high quality Scotch. I'm not sure that this beats out comparable 10-12 year old offerings from the likes of Glenmorangie and others, but it's a little like the Volvo to their VW, if you get me.

15th December 2014

Succulent impulse purchase discovery. I'm not a fan of the heavy, smokey, peaty malts so this was a delicious find. Unfortunately it didn't last long enough to measure the effect of opening and leaving it to stand.

9th September 2014

Bought as a present for me but have to say there are several I'd put before this. If it helps I love Laphroig.

12th July 2014

popped in distillery today and bought bottle just finished second dram wow just found new favorite

14th February 2014

Very smooth, honeylike, definitely not typical for a Highland Whisky. Yet, it has tons of character and it warms like a good scotch whisky should. Gets better after the bottle's been opened for a couple of days. Yes, this is a treat.

20th January 2014

Sorry forgot to mark it - a resounding 10 stars - brilliant

1st December 2013

This is an absolute cracker of a malt. The high 48% ABV locks in some fabulous rich flavours and tannins. Matured in quality Bourbon and Sherry casks it ticks all the boxes for me. Much better than the NAS Founders Reserve and well worth the small premium. My favorite single malt for the money.

19th November 2013

I got so many retirement gifts that I'm not sure who gave me what. I must find out who the discerning person was who bought me Glen Garioch. I am careful with malts as I am not a great fan of "peat". Glen Garioch is so smooth and has what I would call the real flavour and taste of what I expect of Scotch whisky. I agree with another reviewer who says he doesn't SHARE Glen Garioch. It is too good to share unless it is with someone who might appreciate it. Secret Pleasure.

23rd October 2012

Tried this at a blind tasting one night and was immediately impressed by the smooth rich taste, the slow velvet slide as it went down, the "afterglow" is smile inducing and "Yes please, I will have another" is ikpossible to stop saying. Value for money is an understatement. Have had 6 bottles in the last 18 months and, NO, I dont share it with friends, its mine for me to sit and be personally sated with.

30th June 2011