Glen Ord 2004 11 Year Cask #142 Cask Collection (A.D. Rattray)

Stop number 68 on the SDT is Glen Ord. This distillery, owned by Diageo, does produce single malts, but it seems most of its output is used in various Johnnie Walker blends. Their official bottlings don't seem to be easily found here, so we have this independent bottling from A.D. Rattray. It's 11 years old, distilled on 9/1/2004 and bottled on 7/4/2016. One of 316 bottles from an ex-bourbon hogshead, cask #142. Bottled at cask strength of 58.9% ABV, it is non-chill filtered and has a natural pale straw color. The aroma begins rather grassy and floral, with some bourbon sweetness. Green oak and some fruits emerge: apples, green grapes, nectarines, pears, and a lemony citrus. Sweet spearmint hints at more of that bourbon cask influence. The very high ABV really suppresses the aroma, so a generous amount of water was added. After adding water, I detected honeyed cereal, faint butterscotch, licorice, anise, a little pickled ginger, and an earthy note. The aroma isn't terrible, but it wasn't very complex and required a lot of effort and water to discern anything. The taste is intensely hot! I essentially had to add water immediately, and surprisingly, the water made it even hotter. I added a bit more water, and it became hotter still. I had to add an excessive amount of water to make this drinkable. After that, I could discern oaky pears, black licorice, pepper, and a little honey. It's also somewhat sour and bitter. Once diluted enough to drink without burning my tongue, it becomes clear that it's just not good. The mouthfeel is medium to full-bodied and dry. The finish is long with licorice, oak, and pears. Very dry. This is quite bad, likely the worst single malt scotch I've ever had. Far too potent, and water only intensified the heat until so much was added that it diminished everything else. Nothing truly good to mention except a pleasant pear note throughout the entire profile. Avoid this one at all costs. Thanks to a friend for the sample, but I'm glad it's gone. 1.75 Moving on...

I requested they add several independent bottlers our small tasting group will be reviewing, and they did so with amazing speed. Thanks, folks! (Now, if only you could teach our IT team that same speed for requests... 😊). This was my contribution to the tasting group. We have maybe two more rounds left, and we'll have sampled from every operating Scottish distillery, plus 2-3 ghost distilleries. I'm not sure what to write about this. I already forgot what it tastes like. It reminds me of that time in college art class (the only subject where I never got an A+). You're sitting there, listening to the instructor talk about a Renaissance painter, and then you're supposed to copy his drawing after seeing a few examples. But if you found art dreadfully boring and useless (cut me some slack, I was majoring in chemical engineering, biochemistry, and political science), you'd be like me and completely forget what you looked at. Naturally, the instructor gets angry and gives you a D-. You're probably wondering why I took art class?! There was an attractive girl involved. And she was absolutely worth the hit to my GPA. So it is with this. I think it had a faint floral nose, like honeysuckles (which, by the way, are a huge nuisance to get rid of; they take over the entire garden... anyway, I digress). Taste? I don't know. What the heck. Maybe faint citrus? Like an orange peel dipped in turpentine? Who cares... no one will buy it after reading the next few reviews. A certain person should tackle this early on. And to a few friends, I won't be offended if you share this with a spittoon. Two stars, and not one more, because at least I didn't gag.

Continuing through distillery samples, I encountered this 11-year-old Highland single malt from Glen Ord, an independent release from AD Rattray at cask strength 58.9%. A friend provided this sample. It presents as a beautiful light gold in the glass, appearing oily but leaving no legs when swirled. The aroma is oak and alcohol to an almost offensive degree. There's a whisper of green apples and other orchard fruits, but you can't inhale deeply due to the intense burn. The palate is very dry, hot, and excessively harsh. I saw other reviews suggesting water, but since their experiences didn't improve, I decided to endure the intensity. There were faint hints of apple sweetness, but I didn't bother exploring them further. I quickly finished the sample and waited for the finish. The finish is searingly hot and dry. At no point did I consider ways to improve any aspect of this whisky; I just wanted it to be over! Haha. I wanted to blame my friend for making me try this intense single malt, but it's not his fault. We just have to get through these unpleasant drams and move on. I don't even want to score this, as I truly hope Glen Ord produces something better than this disaster. Perhaps after this tour, I'll seek out a different Glen Ord, but this one is a complete failure. Cheers to tasting better things.

A sample of Glen Ord from independent bottler A.D. Rattray was provided. Previous reviews were harsh, so I hoped it wouldn't be that bad – does it have any redeeming qualities? The nose immediately presents acetone, like nail polish remover. Once that dissipates, some earthy and sweet notes emerge: straw, floral hints, apples, and the crumbs from an Entenmann's crumb cake. Perhaps it's not all bad if it contains Entenmann's. The initial taste is syrupy sweet and thick on the palate, arriving hot. A hint of vanilla custard is detectable before the flavors become muddy and indistinct. Water is necessary to reduce the heat, revealing only charred wood and acetone. Water makes it tolerable, but I'm unsure if it improves. The finish is bitter and hot, with notes of lemon rind, red pepper flakes, and earth. This is a rough and raw whisky requiring effort and tolerance to appreciate. The nose was the highlight; from there, it declined. [80/100][Tasted: 3/9/18]

The widespread disapproval of this young Glen Ord single cask has me apprehensive about writing this review! I tried this a while back but failed to do my research and document my impressions. To my surprise... I thoroughly enjoyed this one! My observations noted a nose with abundant sweet grain, vanilla cake, egg batter, and butter cookies. The palate offered butter and lemon, with traces of salt and delicious ripe apple. It concludes with persistent lemon tartness complemented by warm butter and floral notes. Most surprisingly, I'm not typically a lover of Highland whisky, yet I found this bottling to be delightful. Thanks to a friend for the sample!

Subtle aroma of mild citrus, honey, and plant-like/herbal notes. The taste was a bit improved, but I dislike black licorice, and it was prominent here alongside simple vanilla, butter, and sourdough. A very mild smoky short finish. Not a throwaway, thanks for the chance to sample the distillery. I must concede it will not be remembered as a highlight. 2.5. This spirit should be called "Lonesome, On'ry and Mean" after the Waylon Jennings song. The song is superior to the drink, though.