GLEN MORAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH

I’ve found that most dudes either like scotch or don’t because Scotch isn’t for everyone but it’s definitely for me!  Another thing about scotch, it’s expensive depending on your taste!  The first scotch I tried was a little number from Gordon Macphail distillery called Mortlach 15.  It was a cask strength single malt scotch whiskey and it was amazing.  The downside of trying a premium scotch right off the bat is you compare every other scotch you try to it.  Another downside is at $80 a bottle Mortlach isn’t something I want to drink all the time!  That being said the Glacier reads Whiskey Advocate and through several reviews he found what I consider to be one of the best value single malt scotch whiskeys on the market right now-Glen Moray Speyside 12 year Single Malt Scotch whiskey.

The Glen Moray distillery is a distillery in Speyside, Scotland that produces single malt scotch whisky. The distillery was sold in 2008 by the Glenmorangie Company Ltd to La Martiniquaise. The distillery is on the banks of the River Lossie, and has been known to flood in the past.

Glen Moray started life as West Brewery in Elgin run by Robert Thorne & Sons, and was converted to a distillery with 2 stills in 1897. Following a fire and extensive rebuilding program at their Aberlour Distillery, the company focused on production of Aberlour whisky, allowing the Glen Moray distillery to run down. It was closed in 1910. The distillery was purchased by the owners of the Glenmorangie Distillery, the MacDonald and Muir families at some time during the 1920s. The distillery received 2 additional stills in 1958 and at present has an annual capacity of around 2,000,000 litres.

The company now belongs to La Martiniquaise which uses part of its production in their blended Whisky Label 5. The distillery was expanded in 2012 and now produces 3,300,000 litres annually from 3 wash stills and 3 spirit stills.

Glen Moray has been entered into the International Wine and Spirits Competion for several years now and has won a vaqriety of Gold, Silver and Bronze awards including Gold Beset in Class for the non aged Glen Moray Classic. Entries have performed modestly at international Spirit ratings competitions. Its 12 and 16-year single malts, for example, have received silver medals at the 2007, 2009 and 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

At anywhere from $24.99 to $30.00 a bottle this is a value scotch.  I think its priced way too low and I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point they raise the price of this scotch.  It seems to fly off the shelf.  It has a sweet start with a very oaky character.  It is smooth for a 12 year scotch and goes well with just about any cigar.  There are hints of wood and spice in the front end.  A few drops of water opens up the character of this scotch releasing fruit notes and amplifying the oaky character. 

If you’re wanting to get into the scotch game then I can’t recommend this single malt enough.  At $24.99 per bottle (for the 12 year) it’s just too good a value to pass up!  I’ve bought a few bottles to hoard in case the price ever increases to a more logical number ($50).  This is an everyday drinker for sure!

Cheers!