2012 Glen Garioch, AD Rattray 12 yo 57.5%

Near Aberdeen, Glen Garioch is Scotland’s easternmost distillery, and having been founded in 1797, it’s also one of the oldest. It survived prohibition and the Depression, closed for the war, and then was closed again by a water shortage in the 1960s. The serendipitous discovery of a nearby spring allowed it to re-open in 1972, and since then it’s been going strong. This bottling has an extremely fine bouquet, camphor and clove, hazelnut and milk chocolate. Air and water both reveal added complexity. Fascinating, fine, delicious. (NT 19/06/25)