Glen Moray Classic Whisky Review (40%)
on Mar 14 in Scottish, Single Malt Whisky by danGlen Moray Speyside Single Malt
Glen Moray is one of my oldest most trusted whisky buys. A long time ago I picked up a bottle of Glen Moray for £14 odd. WHAT! …fourteen pounds? fourteen, not fourty! Yes fourteen, dont be such a snob.
I got it home and that night and had a drink fully expecting it to be every bit as good as glenfiddich… after all it comes in a big cardbord tube. I can tell you now, to this date its stayed a ‘big measure’ favorite of mine.
Becuase Glen Moray is so cheap (£17 in a supermarket) I love too wack a tonne of ice in there and a rather large measure.
Glen Moray Review
To smell Glen Moray is a simple afair, mineral notes and slightly floral aroma, its not a strong scent and its not not really that alchoholic smelling. Caramel creme notes are hidden deep within the nose with soft cramel that reminds me of a highland toffee bar.
The offical website description has a tasting notes page and it tells you all the things you are supposed to be able to smell, I however am quickly comming to the opinion that you will smell whatever they tell you that you can smell. Maybe its a psycho-somatic thing but I have stopped reading these things now so I can give you my personal true expereince.
Saying that… now they have said it there is a bit of a spiced biscuit smell to it.
To taste Geln Moray has got a lot of flavour for what is essentially a cheapo single malt Speyside. If I had to choose between one bottle of Glenfiddich 12 or two bottles of Glen Moray, guess what I would go for?
Rolling it over your tongue, because thats what you are supposed to do, you don’t get burnt, you get gently warmed, swishing in around your gums and cheeks its reasonably sweet with a subtle maly caramel flavor and when you finally down it it has a medium long warm close. No Peat.
In my mind you would have to be a mug to buy Glenfiddch 12 years old over this considering the price. Having said that next I will have to do a side by side of the two just in-case my memory is failing me.
Cue the review bottle of doom
Rating: 3/5 because so really good and really cheap. I would have given this a 4/5 but I am afraid that would be a bit unfair on the more expensive, and frankly better, whiskies.
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Sounds good, smash it back and let the good times roll
Its amazing how quickly the bottle disapears when you know its good stuff and its so cheap to replace.
James – Scotch malt whiskies are not for “smashing back”.. If you are looking for a scotch with which to get “shit-faced” (as we say in Scotland), stick to blended whiskies. A good malt is to be savoured in the company of friends and family (or on your own, if you prefer), but in moderation. A true Scot would never pollute a malt with anything, other than more whisky, but if you cannot drink unadulterated, either a splash of water (not carbonated!), or some ice to take the temperature down a fraction – but NEVER, EVER with coke, lemonade, or anything else! To do so is a hanging offence! LOL! Finally, if you can lay your hands on some, try it with a couple of slices of Scottish smoked salmon. ENJOY!!
I am a novice and in need of help at refining my whisky (whiskey if you’re Irish) taste. I’m begining to have an affection to peaty whiskys, but have not sampled enough to define what the hell that really means.
Anyways, I appreciate your ground level approach to telling us how a whisky tastes.
How would a fellow go about getting a cross section of whisky types? A sampler if you will.
@Dana Thank you for your comments. The peatyness describes the often smokey taste and smell as whisky gets when the grains the whisky is made out of are exposed to peat smoke during the whisky making process.
the Master of Malt website to tasting sets that would give you that cross section of whisky tastes you are looking for. Perhaps start with a regions of Scotland tasting set (http://www.masterofmalt.com/tasting-sets/) or if you want to try some more peaty/smokey ones they have a lightly peated set too.
My favorite peated whisky is one from Islay called Lagavullin.
Got my first bottle of Glen Moray Classic from friends visiting Canada this summer. This single malt has been my introduction to the appreciation of decent Scotch. Sadly the bottle is finished and Glen Moray is not available here in Canada.
Hi Rob, Its great to hear you got a good intro to some decent Scotch. The world is your Oyster now, maybe try some Cragganmore next.
I will put the word out asking how to get Glen Moray in Canada. But now you have had a good whisky maybe try to get something different/better.
If you are on twitter give us a tweet on http://www.twitter.com/whiskytimes
I am a young, and a novice whisky drinker. Glen Moray being the whisky that allowed me to really get into the stuff!
Cant help but think what i have been missing?!
Good to hear we have another convert to the whisky revolution!
There are so many whiskies out there from all over the world, just get stuck in and don’t worry about anything, just enjoy.
I to had my first real taste of whisky with a bottle of glen moray with friends last week and I must say it was delightful. This started my love of whisky and last night i tried the 12 year old glenfiddich and in my view the glen moray was so much nicer. I used to think whiskey was for the older generation, not 22 year olds like myself, but how wrong i was and it all started with this little beauty!
Good for you David, you are probably just showing a maturity beyond your years! A good next whisky might be the Glenfarclass 15, I found early on that i liked it becuase it has bold easy to identify tastes and smells.
I received a bottle of Glen Moray for Christmas not tasted it yet ( as I have a months sabbatical) off drinking after Christmas but really looking forward to it after the comments I have read.
a little trivia for you, you won’t find this on wikipedia. in the early 90s glen moray ran a pilot co-gen project. they converted the old maltings into large fish tanks, heat exchanged warm water coming off the condensers, and farmed a warm water fish called talapia. the pilot project didn’t succeed, but it was a innovative project well before it’s time.
i’d venture a guess i’m one of the few people in this world who ever ate cubed talapia pickled in single malt glen moray.
Best comment so far this year Russell.