Glen Moray may not always grab the spotlight in the crowded world of Speyside single malts, but it consistently offers a solid foundation for independent bottlers to showcase a range of intriguing expressions. Known for its bright, fruity character and willingness to experiment with various cask finishes, Glen Moray provides a versatile canvas that can reveal surprising depth and charm beyond its core range. In this review, we explore six independently bottled Glen Moray whiskies, each bringing its own unique twist-from ex-bourbon and sherry casks to more unusual finishes, like IPA and Vino de Naranja. While some expressions lean towards the classic Speyside profile of fresh fruits and gentle spice, others push aside the habits with richer, more complex layers. Whether you’re a seasoned Glen Moray fan or new to the distillery’s independent releases, this selection of six indy teenager Glen Moray offers a compelling glimpse into the distillery’s diverse potential.
Glen Moray 2007 11-year-old SMWS 35.237 A Novel Experience (2019) Review
We start with a Glen Moray distilled on April 6, 2007, which the Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottled in 2019 at 11 years of age and named ‘A Novel Experience.’ It matured in a first-fill barrique, probably red wine, which yielded 258 bottles filled at 61.8% ABV. As usual with the SMWS, they did not chill-filter or add colouring. Obviously, sold out since the release happened about 6 years ago.
Colour:
Auburn with a golden hue.
Nose:
Neat: The nose shows quite intense aromas. It features burnt brown sugar caramel, winey notes, cinnamon, cherry liqueur, chocolate, and hints of solvent.
With water: Water brings out very slight hints of sulphur, which fortunately do disappear quickly. Then the aromas shift to crème caramel, followed by cinnamon and wet pebbles.
Palate:
Neat: The arrival feels quite intense, with a very astringent mouthfeel that immediately dries the gums. It presents quite a few spices and wood tannins. Flavors include cinnamon, dark fruits, lemon, grapefruit, and raw wood. The alcohol heat feels high and does not integrate well yet, reflecting the high ABV.
With water: Water reveals red berries, butterscotch, fudge, and a bit more lemon. The reduction calms the palate and reduces the astringency.
Finish:
The finish shows wood, dark chocolate, cherries, cinnamon, and some grapefruit sourness. It lasts quite long.
Comments:
This Glen Moray surprises with its intensity. You need to tame it with water. After adding water, the first-fill barrique’s influence calms down a bit, making the whisky less vinous, less astringent, and reducing the alcohol heat.
Rating: 6/10
Glen Moray 2005 12-year-old SMWS 35.212 Dark, Menacing and Mysterious (2018) Review
We continue with another release from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. This time, the Glen Moray was distilled on June 17, 2006, and the Society bottled it in 2018 at 12 years of age. It matured in a first-fill ex-Moscatel hogshead, which produced 311 bottles filled at 61% ABV.
Colour:
Burnt umber with an orange hue.
Nose:
Neat: At first, the nose feels very intense and unpleasant, with burnt plastic. After some air, the aromas change. The nose becomes sweet, showing brown sugar, toffee, strawberry jelly, milk chocolate, fresh brioche, and a bit of marzipan.
With water: Adding a few drops of water sharpens the nose, revealing glue, raw wood, and some metallic notes.
Palate:
Neat: The arrival feels warm, with a thick and chewy mouthfeel. The palate tastes slightly salty, with lots of raspberries, strawberries, cherries, and some blueberries. It also shows dark caramel, a little wood, and light tannic astringency. The high ABV brings noticeable peppery heat but integrates well overall.
With water: The reduction rounds the palate and adds a bit more peppery character. It brings back salt, along with hints of orange peel, lemon, grapefruit, redcurrants, and concentrated caramel.
Finish:
The finish features dark cherries, dark chocolate, some wood, pepper, and hints of orange peel and almonds.
Comments:
This Glen Moray becomes superb after aerating in the glass. Both the nose and palate feel rich, luscious, and fruity, and the alcohol integrates well, with a manageable pepperiness. Although reduction does not improve the nose, it clearly enhances the palate, and I prefer to enjoy this Glen Moray 2005 that way.
Rating: 8/10
Glen Moray 2007 13-year-old Thompson Bros (2020) Review
Next, we have a Glen Moray 2007 that combines two first-fill barrels. The Thompson Bros vatted those two casks and bottled the whisky in 2020, producing 532 bottles at 50% ABV (which may reflect the natural cask strength). They did not chill filter or add colouring. You can still find it in the UK for around £95 and in Italy for about €200.
Colour:
Old gold.
Nose:
Neat: The nose feels very summery, showing fresh cereals, dried fruit, yellow fruits, pear, apple, peach, vanilla, and honey. It also reveals hints of dried apricots, very light aromas of coconut shavings, and peach-flavored petit-suisse.
With water: Water brings out crème brûlée, custard, and hints of peach. After reduction, the nose focuses more on vanilla.
Palate:
Neat: The palate reflects the nose, with bright yellow fruits, honey, and vanilla. It also shows white chocolate, a few slices of candied ginger with a pinch of pepper, butterscotch, and some lemon zest. You can detect hints of coffee as well.
With water: The flavors remain similar but with more lemon, especially on the finish. You also get a bit of oak, increased peppery heat, and light astringency.
Finish:
The finish leaves a refreshing tartness with lemon and oranges, along with a light chocolate bitterness. It lasts a medium length.
Comments:
This Glen Moray 2007 from the Thompson Bros has a lovely summery feel. It’s not the most complex Glen Moray I’ve tried, but it’s bright, fruity, and really refreshing. A very pleasant dram.
Rating: 7/10
Glen Moray 14-year-old Brühler Whiskyhaus The Tasteful 8 (2022) Review
We continue with a 14-year-old Glen Moray that the German bottler Brüler Whiskyhaus released in 2022 as part of its ‘A Dream of Scotland – The Tasteful 8’ series. The whisky first matured in an ex-bourbon cask before spending a finishing period in a Vino de Naranja cask. This cask produced 298 bottles at 51.7% ABV, with no chill filtration or added colouring. An Austrian shop lists it at €128, but you can find it on the secondary market for significantly less.
Colour:
Burnished.
Nose:
Neat: The nose starts spicy and sweet, with sweet wine, orange peel, and some sharpness from the alcohol. It also shows a very light sulphur note, along with red apples, peaches, plums, and a touch of vanilla.
With water: Water reveals some woody sharpness, crème pâtissière, hints of dry rubber, and marzipan.
Palate:
Neat: The mouthfeel feels rich and creamy. The palate opens with clementines, oranges, peaches, and black pepper, followed by developing astringency. You also get vanilla, honey, dry wood, turmeric, and dark chocolate.
With water: Water brings out an unexpected salty note and makes the mouthfeel more astringent. Flavours include redcurrant, lemon, and some waxiness.
Finish:
The finish carries hints of lemon, clementines, Jaffa Cakes, and pepper. It lasts medium-long.
Comments:
This Glen Moray surprises with its uneven character, wavering between different flavour profiles. The Vino de Naranja finish doesn’t fully blend with the rest of the whisky, yet the dram still shows charm and notable qualities. Spending a little longer in the Vino de Naranja cask might have helped it achieve better balance.
Rating: 6.5/10
Glen Moray 16-year-old Chorlton Whisky (2024) Review
The penultimate Glen Moray in this session is a 16-year-old that Chorlton Whisky bottled in 2024 after maturing in a Bourbon barrel. The cask produced a low outturn of 116 bottles, filled at 52.2%, also without chill filtration or added colouring. You can still find this Glen Moray available for around £84 in the UK and about €95 at the Whiskybase Shop for Europe.
Colour:
Old gold.
Nose:
Neat: The nose opens with red apples, custard, and wax. It then reveals lime zest and malt freshly milled. After a while, peach and banana notes emerge, accompanied by light floral hints of lavender and lilac.
With water: Water brings out crème pâtissière and more red apples, with subtle hints of oranges.
Palate:
Neat: Spicy notes develop at the start, featuring oak spice, cinnamon, and light black pepper. The whisky shows some woodiness alongside fruitiness, with red apples and lime standing out. The American oak adds vanilla and honey, balancing sweetness with the tartness of lime. You also get touches of milk chocolate. The mouthfeel feels creamy.
With water: Water enhances lemon, grapefruit, green apples, and adds a little more woodiness. The palate becomes slightly more tart after reduction.
Finish:
Red apples and lime carry through to the finish, where lime and pepper create a pleasant astringency that slightly dries the gums. You also find hints of dried banana slices and custard again. The finish lasts medium length.
Comments:
At €95, a 16-year-old Glen Moray single cask offers excellent value, particularly when the whisky delivers such a vibrant, fruity character as this Chorlton bottling. It’s a quality dram that justifies the price.
Rating: 7.5/10
Glen Moray 2001 17-year-old SMWS 35.234 Hopping mad! (2019) Review
Last but not least, we finish with a Glen Moray that matured for 15 years in a first-fill ex-bourbon barrel before the distillers re-racked it into a first-fill ex-IPA barrel for extra maturation. They distilled it on 2 November 2001, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottled it in 2019 at 17 years old, naming it ‘Hopping Mad!’. The cask produced 202 bottles filled at 56.1%, with no chill filtration or added colouring. Unsurprisingly, it sold out quickly.
Colour:
Deep copper.
Nose:
Neat: The name fits perfectly-this whisky is full of hops. You get tropical fruits like guava, mango, and pineapple, alongside red and green apples. Additional aromas include beeswax, IPA beer, wine gums, and custard. Overall, very pleasant.
With water: Water brings out waxy custard, peach petit-suisse, and dried apricots.
Palate:
Neat: The arrival features orange marmalade, wax, rosewater, and plenty of herbaceous and floral notes such as lilac and various herbs, along with lavender and violet candies. Despite the IPA cask finish, the palate leans more towards a floral beer profile than a citric one. It’s unusual but quite enjoyable.
With water: After reduction, the palate becomes sweeter, with hints of tropical fruits emerging and a more pronounced astringency. A touch of pepper also appears.
Finish:
Herbaceous and floral notes dominate the finish, accompanied by hints of cactus liqueur and a subtle herbal bitterness. Over time, it can become slightly cloying.
Comments:
Despite the IPA cask finish, the palate shows a floral beer profile rather than a citric one. Although I mostly drink IPA beers now-you know I’m a tropical fruit lover and look for those flavours in beer too-I find this lovely. It truly lives up to its name, ‘Hopping Mad’, and the herbaceous, mostly floral notes on the palate and finish might put some people off, as they can be divisive. Personally, I really enjoyed them. That said, this might be a whisky you prefer to enjoy just one dram of in a single sitting.
Rating: 7.5/10
Thank you, Graham, Mike, Jordan, Julien and Mathieu! Bottle pictures courtesy of Whiskybase.