We're looking at a few new releases from Gleann Mor's Rare Find April 2025 outturn.
Gleann Mor Rare Find Glen Garioch 16yo Cask #108
Region: Highlands
ABV: 55.4%
Price: £109.90
Today’s first review was distilled on 3rd October 2008 and bottled in 2025 after a finishing period in a first-fill Ribera del Duero barrique. A total of 309 bottles were released. For full transparency, Gleann Mor provided us with a sample—though, of course, this won’t influence our review.
Nose
The nose opens with warm butter, sponge cake with strawberry jam, lemon drops, peach ring sweeties, grape Shloer, alongside the signature esthery, tropical fruit driven Glen Garioch character. The alcohol is very well balanced, a slight bit of must coming through but it's got a soft, fruity, easy to nose profile overall. Going back, we're finding a little aniseed, fennel seeds, and some blackcurrant cordial too.
Palate
The palate opens with rich coffee and chocolate flavours, Mocha, caramel latte, decadent chocolate tort, moving into more of a vanilla creme brulee, light brown sugar with hints of those tropical fruits, pineapple and mango, appearing before the finish. The finish does linger for a good while with mostly cocoa powder and a little cinnamon spice. The mouthfeel is good, it's got a chocolate sauce-like consistency that you'd drizzle on ice cream, and the flavours aren't too far away from that too. It's also well balanced, with the alcohol sitting softly in the background.
Nose (with water)
The reduced nose adds a little acidity to the berries and grapes, they're now a little underripe. Other than this, the nose remains pretty similar to the undiluted version, perhaps slightly richer and more wood-driven.
Palate (with water)
The reduced palate has more of the chocolate, coffee and caramel flavours, but we're finding the esthery Glen Garioch spirit is actually slightly more prominent - the wine cask is still there but not showing through as much. The mouthfeel takes a bit of a hit but overall it's still quite delicious. We'd skip water, it doesn't need it.
Conclusion
It's one of those drams that differs considerably between the nose and palate - fortunately both are quite impressive. The nose offers a soft, juicy mix of berries and tropical fruits, whereas the palate hits you with rich chocolate and coffee flavours, surprising us but not in a bad way at all. We were concerned that the wine may cover up the unique Glen Garioch character, but we're pleased that it's still detectable, with the cask finish delivering a layer of well integrated complexity.
Score: 8/10
Value
The distillery’s 16-year-old can be bought for around £10 less.
Gleann Mor Rare Find Secret Lowland 11yo Cask #715
Region: Lowlands
ABV: 65.6%
Price: £79.99
Today’s other review was distilled on 15th April 2014 and bottled in 2025 after a finishing period in a refill sherry hogshead. A total of 317 bottles were released. Once again, the sample was provided to us.
Nose
The nose opens with spicy sherry, lots of fiery ginger ale, cinnamon and clove spice, toffee crisp bars, dried cranberry and raspberries, and a little sour cherry too. It's a punchy nose, the alcohol is very much front and centre, and we're not surprised it's 65%, however there's enough aroma coming through on the nose that it's still in relative balance. Going back, we're getting pickled walnuts, leather bags and a little coffee too.
Palate
The palate opens with sour cherries, lots of almonds, marzipan, spun sugar, red currant jelly, toffee bon bons and fiery ginger juice. It's hot.. very very hot, but as the palate develops, this softens and we're left with a sweet finish with a bit of cinnamon, black pepper and candied ginger. The mouthfeel is good, a nice viscous texture, and going back we're finding malt biscuits.
Nose (with water)
The reduced nose mellows a lot of the fiery spice, and those sour cherry and raspberry notes are more prominent now. Still lots of unmistakable sherry, cinnamon and clove spice, still lots of ginger, a little milk chocolate appearing too. It can definitely take a good few drops of water without killing the dram.
Palate (with water)
The reduced palate maintains the good mouthfeel, and loses some of the overpowering spice, leaving room for the sherry flavours to sing. Sweet red fruits, cinnamon sugar doughnuts, dulce de leche, cooking chocolate and a little coffee. Similarly to the nose, it can really take some water.
Conclusion
Big, bold and sherried, that sums up this dram pretty well for us. It's quite alcoholic, slightly unbalanced in that sense but there's enough sherry flavour and aroma to combat this, resulting in a surprisingly drinkable dram. It's good quality sherry wood, we're not getting any off notes, and it's really one for the sherry lovers.
Score: 7/10
Value
This one definitely feels a touch pricey compared to other indie bottler releases.
- 10 - Perfection. One in a million
- 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
- 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
- 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
- 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
- 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
- 4 - Below average. Passable.
- 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
- 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
- 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.
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