Review 140: SMWS 77.24 (23 year Glen Ord)

Let's do another SMWS review while we're at it. Today, the bottling is 77.24, the 24th cask bottled by SMWS from the Glen Ord distillery (code 77). Glen Ord has a lower profile than many other single malts, especially in the US, where I hardly every see it. As a result, this will be the my first review of a whisky from Glen Ord. Exciting! This may prove to be a pretty interesting one too, it's a 23 year old and the SMWS tagline is "Mouth-numbing handbags." What does a handbag taste like anyway? Let's find out...

SMWS 77.24 (23 year Glen Ord)

Color: Amber +0

ABV: 57.2%

Aroma Neat:
Lemon Pith/Lemongrass, Sweet Malt, Gently Roasted Cereals, Husks, Silky Vanilla (somewhat green), Pine Nuts, Pine Sap (slightly), Boiled Caramel (lightly), Wood Pulp/Paper, Light Clover Honey (crystallized), Yeasty Biscuits, Dutch Cocoa Powder, Menthol (slightly).

Very fresh and natural smelling. Quite malty too. I'm a fan! I think I detected a bit of leather, but I'm not listing it as a note because I think it may just be in my head from the tagline.

Aroma Water:
Malty, Oatcakes, Heather Honey, Cold Butter, Short Bread, Yeasty Biscuits, Cork (slightly), Vanilla Bean, Pine Nuts, Cinnamon, Light Brown Sugar (very slightly), Bartlett Pears, Lemongrass, Hayseed, Dried Mango (very slightly), Paprika.

Still quite malty and farm fresh, but now a bit fruitier and spicier. A bit better, imo, though it was a nice nose to begin with!

Taste Neat:
Lemongrass, Wild Honey, Green and Seasoned Oak, Robust Tannins, Waxy Minerality, Sliced Ginger, Earthiness/Soil (mushrooms?), Spicy Pepper.

Is this really 57.2%? Yikes! Still fresh, but waxier and earthier than the noise implied.

Taste Water:
Honey, Dry Oak, Spicy Pepper Corns, Barrel Char (slightly ashy), Honey, Thin Caramel, Paprika, Dried Mango, Burning Candle (paraffin, light smoke), Bitterish Malt, Honeydew Melon, Coal, Lemon Custard.

Opened very nicely. Very nicely. Wood and char notes are more evident and the malt itself pokes through. Much fruitier. More complex and engaging overall.

Finish:
Hot Wax, Butter (slightly), Dry Oak, Pricking Tannins, Mushrooms/Earthiness, Vanilla Ash, Pear Juiciness.

Long and interesting finish.

Conclusion:
Fresh, clean farmyard and malty nose.

Lightly honeyed, prominently oaked, and fruity/spicy palate which is very tasty.

Long finish exhibiting good complexity.

Rating: 88/100

In some ways, this was akin to the Mortlach I reviewed previously. This Glen Ord is much fresher though, which is why I prefer it. It's not what I'd call an "easy" whisky though, which is a trend I've noticed with many SMWS releases. It is quite interestingly shy and layered, which in my mind makes it very enjoyable. Not everyone want to study a whisky closely though, so buyer beware!

Initially, I was going to rate this 85, because it's very good whisky. I'm glad I took my time, though, because over the course of an hour this whisky really develops and takes on complexity. Like it says on the back of the label, "Not for wigging, glugging, or knocking back!"

Josh