Glen Garioch (Angus) 1992/2023 - 31 yo - Macbeth Series Act One

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 54.6% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Angus brings together whiskies from four first-fill American oak Bourbon Barrels. Distilled in 1992, this Glen Garioch matured for 31 years before being bottled in 2023 at 54.6%. The release comprises 600 bottles. Its pronounced texture combines floral and spicy impressions with a fruity, pastry-like character. In the early 1990s, Glen Garioch returned to a slower pace of production, contributing to the weighty style of this spirit.

This bottling portrays Angus, a Scottish nobleman in Shakespeare's Macbeth who turns away from Macbeth and joins Malcolm during the play. Within the Macbeth Collection, it belongs to The Thanes, a group of twelve Single Malts. The complete collection comprises 42 whiskies across six groups; Angus was released in Act One, whose nine bottlings were unveiled in 2023. Sir Quentin Blake created the illustrations, while Dave Broom's character portraits inspired the selection of whiskies.

The whisky is not smoky and was bottled without added colouring or chill filtration. The bottle contains 0.7 litres and comes with gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Candied citrus peel, white grapes and kiwi open the nose. Richer notes of panettone, dried apricots and light sugar syrup then emerge.
• Palate: Green fruits appear on the palate, followed by banana, cough sweets and sugar candies. The texture is rich and oily. Oat biscuits, nutmeg and wildflowers complement impressions of dry white wine with a chalky character.
• Finish: The long finish has a stony quality, with lingering fruity notes.

Distillery/Bottler:

Glen Garioch is located in Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire, and traces its foundation back to 1797. Established by the Manson brothers, the distillery originally also included a brewery. Water shortages led to its closure in 1968; production resumed following its acquisition by Stanley P Morrison. A spring discovered on a neighbouring farm in 1972, the Silent Spring of Coutens Farm, made expansion possible. The site was extensively renewed in 1973, when Glen Garioch was first offered as a Single Malt.

Elixir Distillers is responsible for selecting and bottling the Macbeth whiskies in partnership with Livingstone. Brothers Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh are behind the company. Sukhinder began releasing independent whisky bottlings in 2002, initially under Speciality Drinks and, since 2017, under Elixir Distillers. Head Blender Oliver Chilton oversees cask selection and blending. For Macbeth, cask samples from the company's own stocks were matched against Dave Broom's literary character portraits: rather than following a uniform recipe, the selection sought the right expression of each character.

Facts: