After a few weeks away from tasting, it’s time to get back to whisky reviews, starting with four independent bottlings from Glentauchers. This Speyside distillery rarely gets the spotlight, with most of its production destined for blends rather than official single malt releases. Fortunately, independent bottlers have given us plenty of opportunities to explore its character. Four different vintages, four different bottlers, and four expressions spanning more than two decades of distillation. Let’s see what Glentauchers has to offer. Let’s see what Morrison (Càrn Mòr), Berry Bros & Rudd, Gordon & Macphail and Blackadded have selected.
Back to Reviews.
After a few health issues, some medication that made alcohol strictly off-limits, and four weeks of sick leave, it’s finally time to get back to whisky and cognac reviews. The silver lining of all this forced downtime was that I had plenty of time to write longer educational articles about whisky and cognac. And I absolutely loved writing them. Sorry if some were a bit long. Okay, very long. Apparently, when I can’t drink whisky, I compensate by writing several thousand words about it.
But as much as I enjoyed diving into production methods, chemistry, regulations and all the little details that make spirits so fascinating, I’ve missed actually reviewing them. So, with the medication (kind of) behind me (in fact in smaller doses), it’s time to get back to the tasting glass.
There’s a small catch, though. After several weeks without alcohol, getting back into tasting isn’t quite as straightforward as I’d hoped. My stomach is still not particularly enthusiastic about handling several drams in a single evening, even in small tasting quantities. What used to be a perfectly manageable review session now needs to be spread over several days. Not necessarily a bad thing for the quality of the reviews, but certainly a change of pace.
This also means that, for a little while, my reviews might feature fewer whiskies or cognacs than usual. I’ll gradually work my way back to my normal rhythm, without rushing things. The bottles aren’t going anywhere, and neither are the tasting notes.
Less drinking, more patience. Same amount of drama.
Glentauchers Distillery
Glentauchers Distillery is located near Mulben, between Keith and Rothes, in Scotland’s Speyside region. Established in 1897 by James Buchanan and his business partners, it was built during a period of rapid expansion in the Scotch whisky industry, primarily to supply malt whisky for blending. The distillery experimented with continuous distillation in the early 20th century, installing a column still alongside its traditional copper pot stills. The experiment was eventually abandoned, and production returned to conventional double distillation.
Today, Glentauchers is owned by Chivas Brothers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard, and has an annual production capacity of approximately 4.2 million litres of pure alcohol. Its production is primarily intended for blended Scotch whisky, particularly Ballantine’s.
The distillery uses unpeated malted barley, milled in a Porteus mill, and draws its process water from the Rosarie Burn. Mashing takes place in a stainless-steel lauter mash tun capable of processing approximately 12.2 tonnes of grist per batch. Fermentation is carried out in six Oregon pine washbacks, each holding approximately 60,000 litres. Fermentation typically lasts around 56 hours, although longer periods of up to approximately 100–106 hours have been reported, particularly over weekends.
Distillation takes place in six copper pot stills: three wash stills with a capacity of approximately 17,875 litres each and three spirit stills holding approximately 14,693 litres each. The stills are heated indirectly by steam and connected to shell-and-tube condensers. Their shape and the relatively slow distillation process encourage copper contact and reflux, contributing to the distillery’s generally fruity, floral and malty spirit character. The new make spirit is collected at approximately 68.5% ABV.
Glentauchers has traditionally relied on manual distillation controls rather than extensive automation. More recently, the distillery has also been involved in energy-efficiency improvements, including the installation of mechanical vapour recompression and heat-recovery systems to reduce energy consumption during distillation.
Despite its substantial production capacity, Glentauchers has relatively few official single malt releases. Most expressions available to consumers come from independent bottlers, with maturation in bourbon and sherry casks among the most common approaches. These releases offer opportunities to explore the distillery’s character outside its principal role in blended Scotch whisky.
Glentauchers 2010 Càrn Mòr Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers (2021) Review
Our first Glentauchers expression today was distilled in 2010 and bottled in 2021 at 11 years old by Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers, as part of its Càrn Mòr Strictly Limited range. It was matured in first-fill sherry butts and bottled at 47.5% ABV, with a total outturn of 1,690 bottles. The whisky is listed as non-chill-filtered and naturally coloured. Although the cask description specifies first-fill sherry butts, the precise sherry style is not confirmed.
Colour:
Cider.
Nose:
Neat: The nose shows a relatively restrained sherry influence, with cherries, redcurrants, plums and raisins alongside a touch of orange zest. Liquorice, vanilla and a hint of bubblegum introduce a sweeter dimension, while malted biscuits and fresh wood provide a lighter background. Tobacco, worn leather, cinnamon and pepper add more sherry-induced aromas, accompanied by roasted nuts, polished brass and a faint suggestion of toasted oak.
Palate:
Neat: A sweet arrival, with cherries, plums, dark fruit syrup and vanilla, followed by milk chocolate, cocoa and caramelised nuts. The sherry influence becomes more apparent than on the nose, bringing dried fruit, liquorice and a touch of sweet coffee. Cinnamon, ginger, black pepper and a little chilli introduce a warming spiciness. Tobacco, leather and oak contribute a drier counterpoint, with hints of orange and slightly oversteeped black tea introducing a gentle tannic bitterness.
Finish:
The finish is medium in length. Sweet red fruits, chocolate and dried fruit gradually give way to cinnamon, pepper, roasted nuts and coffee. A touch of liquorice and dry oak remains, with some bitterness reminiscent of black tea.
Comments:
The aromas are pleasant but not especially pronounced, particularly considering the first-fill sherry maturation. On the palate, the overall profile balances fruit sweetness and spice. In the end, this young Glentauchers 2010 Càrn Mòr is a nice easy-going dram, a little sweet maybe and with a retrained sherry influenced for a first fill maturation.
Rating: 6/10
Glentauchers 1996 Berry Bros & Rudd (2017) Review
The second whisky in our four-bottle Glentauchers review comes from Berry Bros. & Rudd, the historic London wine and spirits merchant whose origins date back to 1698. In addition to its merchant activities, the company has a long history of selecting and bottling Scotch whisky from individual distilleries.
This Glentauchers was distilled in 1996 and bottled in 2017 at 20 years old, from ex-bourbon barrel number 7308. It was bottled at 48% ABV, a slightly higher strength than the younger Càrn Mòr 2010 reviewed previously. This release has longed sold out.
Colour:
Pale straw.
Nose:
Neat: The nose is acidic, fruity and slightly austere. It shows notes of tangy fruits (citrus, oranges, grapefruit) with some minerality (chalk and sandstone). An herbal aroma of ivy and freshly mowed wet grass tries to balance a strangely youthful harshness without completely doing so. Liquorice roots, finally, bring some light rooty sweetness.
Palate:
Neat: The palate starts sweeter but quickly becomes citrusy and spicy. The initial flavours of vanilla and honey from the bourbon barrel quickly leave space to lime, grapefruit, peppercorns and chilli, with a touch of pickled ginger slices. The mouthfeel is syrupy, with a nice texture for this 48% ABV. The minerality then appears on the palate as well, with sandstone being showcased, while
Finish:
The finish is long, with spices really taking centre stage: white peppercorn, chilli and tabasco sauce. Hints of vanilla and beetroot sugar appear briefly, quickly taken over by the spices and some woody notes.
Comments:
This Glentauchers is nice but held down by some austerity and spice unbalance, which prevent it from reaching more height. This is a completely different profile as the Càrn Mòr as well, and it’s unclear if the spices and austerity come from the ex-bourbon barrel or the distillate, so I guess this means I need to explore more Glentauchers. For science and knowledge, obviously.
Rating: 6/10
Glentauchers 1995 Gordon & Macphail (2024) Review
The third whisky in our four-bottle Glentauchers comparison takes us back to 1995, with a 29-year-old single cask selected and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail. Founded in Elgin in 1895, Gordon & MacPhail has a particularly long association with the distillery, having released Glentauchers under several of its independent bottling ranges.
This particular whisky was distilled in 1995 and bottled on 27 August 2024, after 29 years of maturation in first-fill sherry butt number 5075. It belongs to Gordon & MacPhail’s Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength range, which features individually selected casks bottled without reduction to a standardised strength. The whisky was bottled at 56.7% ABV, with an outturn of 594 bottles of 70 cl, under batch reference 24/219. Whiskybase identifies it as naturally coloured and non-chill-filtered. The exact sherry type used to season the butt is not specified.
This expression is still available, from £265 in the UK and €300 in Europe.
Colour:
Russet.
Nose:
Neat: The nose is intense, with a substantial sherry influence: stewed raisins, dark cherries and cooked red fruits, complemented by fresher notes of red apples, tangerines and citrus peel. Roasted coffee beans, cocoa powder and dark chocolate bring a roasted, slightly bitter dimension, while polished leather and a little tobacco suggest a more mature character. There are also malt biscuits, digestive biscuits and a touch of honey, alongside cumin and other dry spices.
With water: After reduction, some honeyed nuts appear, complemented by light sandalwood notes, while hints of stewed apples and
Palate:
Neat: The palate shows rich fruit flavours, with redcurrants, Morello cherries and citrus zest accompanying the sweeter sherry notes. Cocoa powder, coffee and dark chocolate contribute depth, while cinnamon, oak and a mixture of warming spices provide contrast. An unusual note of creamy, almost Irish cream liqueur-like quality suggests a softer side to the otherwise spice-driven profile.
With water: The palate stays spicy and rich, with a lovely thick and chewy mouthfeel. The oak comes slightly more on the front, while dark fruits take a step back, but all stay in balance.
Finish:
The finish is full and spicy, with oak, cinnamon and lingering red fruits. Redcurrants and forest berries are joined by orange cream, coffee and a sweeter, creamy note reminiscent of strawberry cheesecake.
Comments:
On the nose, despite the pronounced sherry character, the underlying malt remains perceptible rather than being entirely obscured by the wood. On the palate, the combination of fruit, biscuit-like malt and oak creates several distinct layers, without the cask having completely overwhelmed the distillate. Reduction changes the profile slightly without breaking the balance. A lovely dram for sherry lovers.
Rating: 7/10
Glentauchers 1989 Blackadder (2021) Review
The fourth and final whisky in our Glentauchers comparison is also the oldest: a 31-year-old single cask bottled by Blackadder International as part of its Raw Cask series. It was distilled on 19 August 1989, matured in barrel number 1154 and bottled in April 2021 at its natural cask strength of 41.3% ABV, yielding just 215 bottles.
Its distillation date is particularly interesting. Glentauchers had been mothballed during the 1980s and resumed production in 1989. This cask was therefore filled around the time the distillery returned to operation, making it a relatively early example of its post-closure production.
Whiskybase+1
Blackadder was founded in 1995 by Robin Tucek and specialises in independently bottled Scotch whisky and other spirits. Its Raw Cask range is distinguished by minimal processing, including the retention of some fine cask sediment that would normally be removed during filtration. These particles can include small fragments of charred wood from the inside of the cask. They are not evidence of additional maturation in the bottle, nor do they necessarily improve the whisky’s flavour.
This Glentauchers is non-chill-filtered, contains no added caramel colouring and was bottled without dilution. The cask is identified as a barrel or oak barrel, but the previous contents are not specified. Ex-bourbon maturation is plausible, particularly given the cask format.
Despite being released in 2021, this expression is still available: from £327 in the UK and €339 in Europe, with availability at retailers in several European countries.
Colour:
Old gold with a grey hue.
Nose:
Neat: A delicate, fruit-driven nose, opening with watermelon, ripe pears and apricots, alongside fresher citrus notes of grapefruit and orange. Honey, vanilla and a little caramel provide a gentle sweetness, accompanied by small white flowers and a hint of ginger confectionery. There is a refreshing herbal dimension, with mint and occasional menthol, contrasting with the softer fruit aromas. Polished oak remains in the background, together with a slightly musty, malty note reminiscent of damp cereal.
Palate:
Neat: A gentle arrival, with a relatively light to medium-thin mouthfeel, although a certain oiliness provides additional texture. Ripe pears, watermelon and orange lead the fruit character, accompanied by red apples, apricots and a touch of citrus zest. Vanilla, honey and barley sugar introduce sweetness, while chocolate-coated malt and a little toffee add a richer dimension. A subtle fermented-dough character recalls the cereal notes on the nose. The oak is present but not especially assertive, bringing mild spices and a little nuttiness without dominating the fruit.
Finish:
Caramel and honey provide an initial sweetness, followed by red apples, pears and ripe stone fruits. Cinnamon introduces a gentle warming spice, with soft oak and lingering vanilla in the background.
Comments:
Lovely Glentauchers well selected by Blackadded. On the nose, the wood influence appears relatively restrained for a whisky matured for more than three decades, allowing the lighter fruit and floral characteristics to remain prominent. The relatively low bottling strength contributes to an approachable palate, although it may also limit the intensity of some flavours, which is a shame, as the palate is otherwise very good.