Glen Garioch 37 yo 'Bicentenary' (43%, OB, 1997) A very rare version, probably distilled around 1959 and before.
Colour: straw.
Nose: we’re closer to the Samaroli now, although there’s less OBE despite the fact that it was bottled at the same time, roughly. We do have the tangerines and these whiffs of wet stones plus that slight farminess again, but it all gets more lemony, citrusy after a while. Probably the fruitiest of the three, and the least peaty and phenolic, even if we do have quite some thuja wood coming through after a moment.
Mouth: very close to the 1958 but with a little more zing this time and a slightly thicker body. Maybe a little more bergamots and kumquats, even if you have to wait a bit before ‘the cavalry arrives’. More obvious peat after a moment but maybe still a little less complexity than in the 1958.
Finish: rather long, oaky but not excessively tannic and quite resinous. Nice liquorice too.
