威鹿 GLEN GARIOCH 1968

一. 首先聲明 . 個人無意介入任何人之間的戰爭 . 只是把我的親身經驗提供給大家參考 .

二 . 1997年適逢威鹿酒廠成立200週年 . 因此酒廠推出3款200週年紀念酒 -- 37年酒 43%( 限量200瓶 .台灣無 引進) . 1968 29Y 原酒及21年磁瓶 800ml 43% . 其中威鹿 GLEN GARIOCH 1968 29Y 就是當時由代理商酒之最所引進 . 當初引進台灣時大概只有200瓶左右 , 因為國人當時還不習慣高酒精濃度的威士忌 , 而且酒廠又默默無名 , 因此賣的不好 , 一瓶2千多元根本少人買 , 我從2900元到 2150元通通買過 . 這支酒較特別的是sigle cask . 據我所知至少有下面這些桶號 ---- 7# 57.7% . 10# 56.3% . 610# 56.8% . 620# 54.2% . 621# 56.3% . 624# 55.9% . 625# 57.2% . 626# 56.6% . 627# 53.7% . 629# 55.9% . 630# 53.8% …

三 . 那這支酒現在的價位是多少呢 ? 這幾年來看著EXCHANGE的報價 . 從199英鎊開始直到去年確實出現過499英鎊 . 不過時間都不常 . 應該庫存量都只有1~2瓶而已 . 剛剛查了 www.parkerwhisky.co.uk報價是275英鎊 . 會落差這麼大就不知為何了 ?

四 . 那這支酒喝起來如何呢 ? 我只能說太好喝了 . 贏過太多 Islay 的原酒 . 但是同樣是威鹿 . 1970 27Y . 1970 33Y . 1971 32Y 則差多了 . 以下是國外網站對這支酒的評語 . 參考看看 -----

http://www.maltmaniacs.org/ADHD/l190-199.html#196

The Glen Garioch 29yo 1968/1997 (57.7%, OB, Cask #7) proved to be a BIG WHOPPER! Nose: Wow!!! Another sherry monster - woody, fruity and wonderfully complex. Tea. Baklava? Spices and organics too. Smoke. All sorts of subtle and seductive action in the background. Salami with garlic? Rubber? An exceptional profile, although it doesn't seem all that 'old'. The organics grow ever more complex - what a ride! Should I add water? I could spoil it...
When I finally dared to add a few drops of water, it seemed to release more smoky notes. Simply flabbergasting - this could very well be the best heavily sherried malt I ever tried. Taste: Hey, that's funny. I get some 'antiquity' on the palate. Smoke. Winey, fruity and chewy. Almost perfect on the palate as well. With a stronger start it might have reached the upper 90's. Score: 94 points - definitely the very best sherry monster I ever tried. The stuff of legends. And once again this knockout malt was selected and shipped by 'supernose' Serge.

Well, maybe it's time to give Glen Garioch a spot on my 'Top 10 Distilleries' list? I've tried 14 different bottlings so far; 4 of them scored in the 90's and 4 in the 80's. The only 'problem' is that only the older bottlings did so well; bottlings that had aged for less than fifteen years managed to impress me far less. So, it eems Glen Garioch needs some time to mature. Or maybe there was a change in production somewhere in the 70's or 80's, just like what happened at Ardbeg? Yes, as it turns out that was the case; they switched from peated to unpeated malt around 1985.

http://www.whiskyfun.com
Glen Garioch 29 yo 1968/1997 (57.7%, OB, cask #7) Colour: cognac. Nose: again an absolute beauty. Peat, sherry and old wood. What a superb combination! It makes me think of the Auchentoshan OBs distilled in the sixties – but not of the Bowmores. Loads of dried herbs (camomile, tea), trucks of beeswax, tankers of burnt leaves… The whole being greatly underlined by one of the most elegant sherries one has ever tasted. Well, you get the picture, I guess. The mouth is, of course, beautiful as well. Punchy yet balanced, with again a perfect mixture of sherry and peat, with lots of liquorice. The perfect balance, really. And a superb, salty finish! But I guess you’re fed up with my adulatory praises, so let’s rush to these last ratings: Serge 94, Olivier 94.

Glen Garioch 29 yo 1968/1997 (55.9%, OB, cask 629) Again a great old Glen Geerie, this time extremely sherried. I simply adored it. 92 points.
Glen Garioch 29 yo 1968 (53.7%, OB, hogshead #627, 1997)