The Glenturret 2021 Whisky Range

Words by Colin Hampden-White

Most brands in the whisky world have their regular expressions. They may start with a non-age statement whisky or two, then a 10 or 12-year-old, and then rise through the age statements to around a 21 year old. All these expressions are based on consistency, the idea that if you bought a 12-year-old one year, then it would be no different if you bought it again in three or four years time. This builds up a customer base who know your product and know exactly what they are buying.

The Glenturret is a little different though. They too, like other brands have a core range. They start with a non-age statement called Triple Wood, they then have a 10, 12 and 15 year old with the age statements culminating in a 25 and 30-year-old, which like most other brands are more limited and will change in profile with each release.

Where The Glenturret is different though, is that all their expressions are batched, and therefore change with each annual release. This is a deliberate decision. Each expression holds true to the previous in style. Their entry level is still a triple wood, the 10 year old a peated expression and the 15 year old a high strength expression, but the 2021 releases are different in flavour profile to their predecessors. Not hugely, but enough to keep them interesting. The concentration at The Glenturret is not consistency of flavour profile, but consistency of flavour quality. For The Glenturret creating whisky expressions is all about quality.

Recently the distillery was sold to a group that included a strong link to Lalique glass. Another company that thrives on quality. Being a hand-crafted product, Lalique and The Glenturret have a lot in common. Individuality, quality, and all aimed at a luxury market. It is special to own a piece of Lalique glass, and so it is special to drink Glenturret. The two brands have great symbiosis.

Let’s have a closer look at this year’s release:

The Glenturret Triple Wood 2021

This opening gambit from The Glenturret showcases their spirit well. By delicate use of American and European sherry casks and ex American bourbon casks, they let the fruity side of the spirit shine whilst allowing gentle wood and spice characters to come through the spirit for a very well-balanced whisky.

ABV: 44%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £47

The Glenturret 10 Year Old Peat Smoked 2021

A peaty expression at a higher-than-normal abv. This year’s expression follows on from last year with the smoke being sweet rather than saline and dry. Where the difference comes through is that there is less citrus fruit than the maiden expression and a little more orchard fruit with more richness. The two expressions are clearly linked by a good base spirit, but there are subtle differences.

 ABV: 50%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £54

The Glenturret 12 Year Old 2021

With lots of rich dried fruits and spice, this expression is close in style to its predecessor. It is the heart of the range and therefore makes sense to stick to a similar flavour profile. Being a small batch of casks, this will still differ a little from the previous release, but the blending is superlative, and the differences are only clearer once the two expressions are tasted side by side.

ABV: 60%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £46

The Glenturret 15 Year Old 2021

Keeping the strength quite high at 53% is consistent with the 1st release. The use of refill casks allows the spirit to shine through, but there are also rich and spicy characteristics created by European oak and a small number of first fill casks. This is a whisky which expresses power and flavour equally without losing any of the finesse associated with The Glenturret today.

ABV: 53%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £110

The Glenturret 25 year old 2021

This expression has been created using only four casks all stored in traditional dunnage warehouses. A mixture of American and European ex Sherry casks, it is opulent and rich with baked apple and toffee flavours alongside soft spices and rich toasted oak.

ABV: 44.3%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £1,050

The Glenturret 30 year old 2021

The pinnacle of the range. This expression draws on American and French influence by using refill American ex-bourbon casks and first-fill European oak giving an opulent mix of sweet oak and fruit with vanilla and rich deep spice and smooth toasted oak. A whisky to certainly savour.

ABV: 41.6%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £1,700

If you’re quick enough there are still a few bottles of the maiden release left too and it’s a great tasting to try the maiden releases next to the 2021 releases.

The Glenturret 10 Year Old Peat Smoked Maiden Release 2020

ABV: 50%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £49.95

The Glenturret Triple Wood Maiden Release 2020

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £51.49

You can find out more about The Glenturret’s 2020 range here and if you’re looking for some cocktail inspiration, make sure to have a look at One Drink, Three Ways: The Glenturret Triple Wood or One Drink, Three Ways: The Glenturret 10YO Peat Smoked.

Sencha Tea Sour

As made by Aidy in The Bring a Bottle Podcast Episode 46 this fancy cocktail has some slightly more unusual ingredients but it’s a doddle to make and tastes divine! Cheers!

Ingredients

45ml Glenturret 10YO Peated
45ml Sencha summer fruit tea (fancy kind of sencha tea)
25ml Red Verjus (pressed juice of unripened grapes)
15ml Lime syrup
20ml Egg white

Method

Add all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and give it a dry shake (a shake with no ice) before then carefully adding ice to give it a wet shake. Strain into a champagne flute and enjoy!

Liked this? Then you may also like The Crabbie’s Colada or The Jura Sunset!

The Best Whiskies in the World

Words by Colin Hampden-White

As time moves forward, World Whisky Day has greater meaning. Long gone are the days of whisk(e)y being dominated by Scotch and Irish drams. We have whiskies being made in the most unlikely of countries, and being made very well. Along with Scotch and Irish drams, Japanese whisky has held a respected position in the whisky world for over a decade. It is surprising it has taken so long for the whisky world to wake up to Japanese whiskies with it having been produced in Japan for nearly a century with the Yamazaki distillery being built in 1924.

Beyond Japan, there is great whisky being made in Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand. With Lark distillery being build in 1992, and Sullivans Cove in 1994, Australian whisky began to be recognised for its quality with Sullivans Cove being awarded the world’s best single malt in 2014. To whisky lovers, these distilleries are well known, but there are also new lesser-known distilleries with fantastic whisky. Cardrona distillery in New Zealand launched their first Single Malt last year with Just Hatched and followed that up with another brilliant release Growing Wings.

Distilling in central Europe is also going from strength to strength. Well known distilleries such as Slyrs in Germany, Lagatun in Switzerland are continuing to keep their quality and consistency. Newer distilleries in central Europe are creating some incredible whisky, Broger and Pfanner in Austria being two favourites of mine. Moving a little further east to the Caspian Sea, I have even found good single malt whisky being made in Azerbaijan on a visit a few years ago. Closer to home for me, the distilleries in England and Wales are going great guns. Aber Falls is about to release their first whiskies this year, Copper Rivet released their first whisky, Masthouse and the Cotwolds distilleries created their sherry cask matured expression which was my favourite English whisky of the last year.

A country well known for its whiskey is the USA, although usually made with different grains and corn, but they are now making some fantastic single malt whiskey. St George in California make a complex and fruity single malt, whilst Balcones in Texas make a big bold powerful single malt which has great complexity with their cold winters and incredibly hot summers making maturation a rapid affair with plenty of interaction between wood and spirit.

With all these world whiskies it would be easy to think that Scotch and Irish are getting left behind, but this is far from the truth. There is a plethora of new distilleries which are now producing whisky. The Glasgow distillery, Ardnamurchan, Daftmill and Arbiki being a few of my favourites. And there are new whiskies on the way with distilleries being built now like Gordon & MacPhail in the Cairngorms and more planned for the future. The green light has also been given for Sukhinder Singh’s distillery on Islay.

From the world of old, three notable closed distilleries are coming back to greet us. Port Ellen is being rebuilt, as is Rosebank, and Brora is opening imminently. Over the last few years, a few existing brands that have been overlooked have had a revamp and are creating some very exciting whisky. My favourite is Fettercairn from Whyte and Mackay, with the 16 year old (made with chocolate malt) being particularly good. Glenturret, having been bought by Lalique has had a serious makeover and the new expressions are seriously good, with a 15 year old at 55% ABV really standing out. Lastly, I enjoyed the new expressions from Bladnoch. A distillery which we have seen little from over the years now has a very smart new bottle and quite a few new expressions. I very much liked the Vinaya which is excellent value and for the 2020 release of Talia, a 26 year old which they matured in American oak red wine casks for all 26 years, and the results were excellent.

With so much choice in the world of whisk(e)y it is hard to know where to start. Might I suggest wherever you might be in the world to start close by, there is bound to be a distillery not too far away, creating whisky, and on this day of all days, let’s celebrate together and keep the food miles down, and support the expansion of whisky throughout the world with a glass of something local.

If you want a more in depth look into Scotch whisky make sure you check out The Three Drinkers do Scotch Whisky and if you’re thinking of investing in your favourite bottles then have a read of Colin’s Whisky Investment Index.

The Best Whisk(e)y to Gift for Christmas

Whisky really comes into its own at this time of year, so we wanted to highlight some of our favourites that we thought would make great gifts for Christmas - as well as brilliant bottles to keep by your side through the winter. Many of these are also in our super-duper festive giveaway so once you’ve ordered your gifts, make sure you enter here!

Heroes & Heretics, Stateside 8 Year Old Whiskey

H&H are experts in sourcing the very finest whiskies and spirits, acquiring them at the best moments and prices to be able to offer some special kit. They specialise in many kinds of sips from Scotch, to American whiskey to rum. We love their Stateside 8YO Whiskey with its vibrant notes of peach, spice and vanilla. 

ABV: 51%
Size: 70cl
Buy here: £86.95

Waterford Single Farm Origin - Sheestown 1.1

Sheestown is the first batch of single malt Irish whisky from Waterford made using grain from Sheestown grown on a single farm by Phillip O'Brien. It’s part of the Single Farm Origin series, which explores the impact that terroir can have on a whisky, using barley grown on single farms around Ireland. It’s also one of several great whiskeys also in our giveaway along with Pilgrimage: First Cuvee, Organic 1.1, Ballymorgan 1.1 and Bannow 1.2.

ABV: 50%
Size: 70cl
Buy here: £69.95

The Glenturret Triple Wood Scotch Whisky

The Glenturret have seriously upped their game recently both with their whiskies and their stunning new bottles (see Colin’s piece here.) The non-age statement Triple Wood, which uses ex-bourbon, American sherry casks and European sherry casks, knocked us sideways with its great mix of vanilla, spice, and both sweet and dry oaky notes. Yum!

ABV: 43%
Size: 70cl
Buy here: £46.45

Arbikie Highland Rye Single Grain Scotch Whisky Release 2

Arbikie is the only Scotch Rye whisky in the world! Records show that rye grain was used in scotch whisky production until the late 19th century and these guys revived the tradition. Aged four years, this is a limited edition single grain whisky that’s flavoursome, powerful and tropical. With its copper pot distillation and maturation in first-fill charred American Oak casks and enriched in Armagnac barrels, it is different and delicious!

ABV: 46%
Size: 70cl
Find here: £188.95

Masthouse Single Malt Whisky

The inaugural whisky from Copper Rivet is finally here. Having tasted the spirit along the way, we were very excited about this release. Made from barley grown in Kent and implementing a long fermentation to give a fruity spirit, this is delicious whisky. Having used first fill Bourbon and virgin oak casks, orchard fruits in abundance, touches of tropical fruits, some ginger spice and a little chocolate on the mid palate giving way to pepper and toasty oak on the finish. It's a young whisky but is ready to be enjoyed by all.

ABV: 45%
Size: 50cl
Pre Order: £45

The Glenlivet 12 Year Old, Illicit Still

The 12 year old, Illicit Still from The Glenlivet is a single malt inspired by the illicit origins of whisky distilling in the 1800s and how its founder, George Smith, illegally distilled whisky in the remote Glenlivet valley and gradually created that fruity, aromatic style that Speyside is now famous for. Think fruity peach, poached pear, caramel and tropical notes. Super special.

ABV: 48%
Size: 70cl
Find here: £49.99

Abelour 12 Year

Fans of Abelour adore its zesty, crisp style and this 12 year old adds beautiful layers to that mix, mellowing the citrus with its double cask maturation and finishing in Sherry butts. Smooth and sweet, this is a great choice for whisky novices. Bottled at 40% abv for an easy drinking style.

ABV: 40%
Size: 70cl
Find here: UK £39.95 // US $59.99

Royal Salute Whisky - Snow Polo Edition 

Named in tribute to the Queen on her coronation day, Royal Salute is famed for its fantastic blends. This new snow polo edition however, is a blended grain, made to celebrate the sport of snow polo. Think lots of cooking spices, a hint of coffee bean, apple pie and honey. Delicious. 

ABV: 46.5%
Size: 70cl
Find here: UK £160.27 // US $250

Macallan 18 Double Cask

Who doesn’t love a Macallan? The Double Cask is matured for 18 years in both American and European sherry seasoned oak casks, which add delightful, sweet notes of vanilla, chocolate fudge and fruitcake with a kick of ginger. Stunning.

ABV: 43%
Size: 70cl
Find here: UK £250 // US £339.99

The Dalmore -  King Alexander III

This one-of-a-kind whisky was matured in no less than six types of cask: red wine, Madeira, Sherry, Marsala, Kentucky bourbon and Port casks. It has the rich, fudgy, fruitness of Dalmore’s quintessential highland style with homely notes of cereal, milk chocolate and ripe orchard fruit, freshened up by a twist of orange peel on the finish, Beautiful! 

ABV: 40%
Size: 70cl
Find here: UK £170 // US $279.99

Looking for some different ‘drinkspiration’? Make sure to check out our wine, gin and luxury gift guides!