Infrequent Flyers Glen Moray Virgin Oak & SMWS 35.260 Glen Moray

Infrequent Flyers Glen Moray Virgin Oak Finish

Region: Speyside

ABV: 58.0%

Price: £59

Infrequent Flyers have been doing some pretty tasty drams recently at some reasonable prices. This bottling is a 9yo that was finished is a virgin oak cask.

Nose

The nose has a good amount of vanilla sweetness, mixed with a mint julep cocktail, and maybe a little soap too. There’s also some lemon verbena, coconut milk, honey and a little maple syrup.

Palate

There’s heavy amounts of minty freshness that comes from the virgin cask, as well as a lot of fresh orange juice, or maybe orange concentrate… Actually scratch that we’re going with Sunny D. It’s very powerful, maybe a bit overpowering? It’s quite oily, the mouthfeel is really nice actually, but the bitter orange is maybe a bit too much.

Nose (with water)

Reduced nose has orange zest, maybe even some of the leaves from the orange tree too. We’re also getting a lot of icing sugar, and there’s also a touch of lavender hiding in the background.

Palate (with water)

With water we’re getting a little bit more of a concentrated orange now rather than juice, and maybe even blood orange. There’s some ginger and cinnamon spice here too. It’s still quite punchy alcohol wise, the water hasn’t mellowed that out too much. Some would say this is even a little medicinal.

Conclusion

For the price, this isn’t bad, but personally this is a little disappointing for us. The virgin oak finish has overpowered the spirit and that’s a shame. Saying that, if you like the distillery and enjoy a powerful, spicy dram, this may be for you. 

Score: 7/10

SMWS 35.260 - Glen Moray 18 year old

Region: Speyside

ABV: 57.7%

Price: £85

Next up is an 18yo Glen Moray that has spent its life in a first fill bourbon barrel. The outturn for this release was 192 bottles.

Nose

On the nose there’s sponge cake with buttercream frosting, some synthetic sweetness like cotton candy, a touch of mint, apple crumble with a small dusting of cinnamon, and a little bit of honey. If we’re being honest mostly just smells like a lot of sugary things.

Palate

Palate is sugar syrup, mint choc chip ice cream, boiled sweeties - in particular the strawberries and cream ones. Some toffee apples and a touch of oak spice. This is incredibly sweet, we can’t stress this enough.

Nose (with water)

Reduced nose has icing sugar, mint humbugs, and a little dried mint too. Really this is now just sugar and mint. It’s not the sort of mint you get from a rye whisky, it’s way sweeter. Going back to it again we’re able to get some creaminess as well.

Palate (with water)

We’re getting chewy mint candies again, we hate repeating notes but this is really overpowering. There’s also a little apple juice here, but it’s the sweetened, artifical kind.

Conclusion

This is a one dimensional whisky. Don’t get us wrong, if you like sweet drams then this will be a 10/10 for you. For us, who lean towards the sweeter side, we’re completely on board with this. If you do get to try this we recommend it without water.

Score: 8/10

• 10 - Perfection. A whisky that we’ll remember forever.
• 9 - Amazing. We’d pay through the nose for a bottle.
• 8 - Great. Pick this up at RRP.
• 7 - Good. Happy to have a dram or two but wouldn’t buy a bottle.
• 6 - Passable. Would accept a dram, but wouldn’t seek it out.
• 5 - Poor. Would drink if it was the only option.
• 4 - Bad. Maybe it can be saved by ginger beer?
• 3 - Awful. It can't be saved by ginger beer.
• 2 - Pour it out
• 1 - We’ve never tried a whisky rated this low and hopefully never will.

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