Glen Moray new 2005 Tokaji Finish (Warehouse 1 UK exclusive)
Philip Day looks at the Glen Moray new 2005 Tokaji Finish. The legendary ‘Warehouse 1’ has recently released another treasure for the delectation of connoisseurs. In this feature, Philip provides his tasting notes and background information about the distillery.
Glen Moray’s famed ‘Warehouse 1’ has released another treasure (9.6.2021) from behind its deep blue doors: a 2005 Tokaji Finish expression. This expression is the first of three whiskies scheduled in 2021 from the ‘new look’ Warehouse 1 Collection.
Distilled in October 2005 and finished in oak casks that once held Tokaji Aszú wine, this new cask strength dram will sweep discerning drinkers away with its sumptuous marriage of Glen Moray spirit and the sweet, nutty notes of Hungary’s decadent dessert wine.
Whisky enthusiasts will surely be keen to get their hands on a bottle either as a suitable Father’s Day present, a special birthday surprise, or to celebrate meeting up with old friends after a long hard Winter and dismal Spring during which time such gatherings were limited.
Five Tokaji casks from the Elgin distillery’s Warehouse 1 – home to Glen Moray’s most unusual and adventurous maturation experiments over the years – have been used for a small batch release of just 1244 bottles, especially for the UK market.
The new Tokaji Finish expression will be the first of three launches scheduled for the Collection in 2021. All will share a common theme, celebrating Glen Moray’s classic Speyside spirit matured in casks sourced from some of Europe’s oldest, noblest and most distinctively flavoured wine varieties.
Hungarian Tokaji is a wine with a rich, royal and romantic heritage that stretches back hundreds of years. It is now enjoying an exciting resurgence, inspiring Glen Moray’s master distillers as they seek out interesting, eclectic casks to create this special collection of whiskies.
Indeed, Tokaji wines are the original sweet white wines of Europe, made from grapes affected by noble rot (botrytis), a style of wine which has a long history. The wine originates from the region of Tokaj-Hegyalja in Hungary and Slovakia. The name Tokaji (which in Hungarian, means ‘of Tokaj’ and a Protected Designation of Origin) is used for labelling wines from this wine district.
Fermentation takes place in used 140 litre Gönci barrels usually made from Hungarian oak.
By the end of the 17th century, Tokaji aszú wines were so well regarded throughout the Courts of Europe, that Prince Rakoczi was urged to classify all the finest vineyards around the 28 villages in the region. Thus, the famed Tokaji wine region has the distinction of being Europe’s first classified wine region.
Aszú classification was traditionally based on how many ‘puttonyos’ (traditional baskets used in the harvest holding 25kg of grapes) of dried out, aszú, grapes were added to a barrel of dry wine.
Nowadays it is based on the wine’s sugar content: The sweeter, the richer; the richer, the rarer; the rarer, the more expensive.
So, with the Glen Moray 2005 Tokaji Finish expression you can expect sugar, spice and all things nice from this golden, cask strength dram, which moves through a ‘full-on sweetshop’ on the nose, to malty, maple syrup flavours and a long, lingering marzipan finish that beautifully balances the structure of Glen Moray spirit.
After the success of the first Warehouse 1 release last year – Sauternes Cask Matured – the Collection has been given a fresh, bold design update. A colourful Warehouse 1 stamp in deep, soft gold represents the Tokaji casks, with an illustration of the warehouse in question also featured, including the birds that circle overhead on a typical day at the distillery.
As Glen Moray Brand Ambassador Iain Allan notes:
‘When our distillers talk about Warehouse 1 it’s almost as if they’re letting you into a secret. This is their special space for experimentation, innovation and patiently waiting for the character of each whisky to develop.’
‘Our team searches the world for interesting casks and they’re not afraid to push the boundaries, try the unusual and creatively combine Glen Moray whisky with unexpected casks. In this case, we have turned to Tokaji, which is a very old but lesser-known wine that has created a wonderful, flavour-packed dram that we’re very proud to release.
‘It’s also very fitting that Warehouse 1 now has its own new and distinctive identity. This is a mark that signifies exclusive, small scale releases, non-chill-filtered and bottled at cask strength and with natural colour. Drinkers can be assured that each whisky has been made with a spirit of adventure, resulting in a dram packed with character and delicious flavour.
‘I’m excited to see what whisky fans will make of our new Tokaji release, and as we move through 2021, I can promise there are more surprises to come from Warehouse 1.’
Let’s look at the expression in detail:
Glen Moray 2005 Tokaji Finish (Cask 7670)
(2021 Distillery Edition)
Tasting Notes (Supplied by Glen Moray):
Colour: bright gold (natural colour)
Nose: a sweetshop of aromas: sugared almonds, caramel toffee, freshly baked gingerbread. Sweet sugars hold back the traditional fresh fruit character of Glen Moray spirit.
Taste: Malty, biscuity, hints of freshly baked bread, slightly sweet. Maple syrup on Scottish pancakes along with warm pecan pie.
Finish: nutty, almond marzipan, long and lingering.
Personal tasting notes (Official sample kindly provided by Glen Moray through Burt Greener Communications)
Nose: Engaging sweet notes of toffee, sugared almonds, sticky ginger pudding containing pleasant chunks of preserved stem ginger in syrup, together with hints of fruity aromas like freshly barbecued honey-drizzled pineapple slices and hints of orange peel.
Taste: A stylish, velvety mouth feel. Biscuity, malty and slightly sweet reminiscent of maple syrup poured over fresh buttermilk drop-scones, with subtle ginger and pepper undertones.
Finish: A lengthy, lingering, rich nutty finish, with enduring notes of fruited malt loaf and creamy marzipan with warmth from enticing gingery spices.
The very fact that allowing the whisky to fully mature in the ex-Tokaji Aszú oak casks has given the spirit time to interact, instilling it with a unique character.
In short, the maturation period has created a well-rounded layered classic dram. The malty sweet, biscuity and nutty notes make it very accessible, at a reasonable price point.
ABV: 56.3% non-chill-filtered/ 70 cl
RRP: £75
Glen Moray Warehouse 1 2005 Tokaji Finish is bottled at cask strength (56.3% ABV), non-chill-filtered and with natural colour.
It is a UK exclusive, available in 70cl packs in specialist whisky shops, with a RRP of £75.
To sum up, this iteration of Glen Moray the maturation period has created an exclusively different but first-class classic dram, suitable for fans of the Glen Moray Distillery range or that person who wants to try something more exotic than supermarket whiskies on their personal journey of whisky discovery but is afraid of paying over the odds.
The expression is well priced and easily compares to other high-end expressions for which you would pay considerably more.
Glen Moray is one of Scotland’s best loved single malt whiskies. Located on what was once the Elgin West Brewery site on the banks of the River Lossie. in the heart of Speyside, Scotland’s whisky capital, the Glen Moray distillery has been producing fine single malt since 1897.
Pure waters from the river, locally malted barley, distillation in traditional copper stills and maturation in American ex-bourbon casks combine to give the whisky its smooth, well-balanced, classic Speyside character.
Glen Moray has always been a place where curiosity about flavour and cask maturation has been encouraged. Records dating back to its early days show new make spirit maturing in a wide variety of different casks – considered a highly unusual practice at that time. A passion for experimentation and a deep knowledge of wood have been passed down through generations of Glen Moray distillers.
The result is today’s exceptional and extensive range of whiskies, offering a flavour and style to suit all tastes. Glen Moray is the 5th biggest malt whisky brand by volume in the UK and is growing in international markets.
For most of its working history since 1924 it was owned by Macdonald & Muir (which changed its name to the Glenmorangie Company Ltd. in 1996). In 2004, the French luxury goods group Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) bought Glenmorangie. In 2008, LVMH sold off the Glen Moray distillery to La Martiniquaise. It is currently managed by its Bardinet spirits group subsidiary.
Founded by Jean Cayard in 1934, La Martiniquaise is an independent French spirits group with a large portfolio of international brands. Headquartered near Paris, the group operates in over 100 countries with 38 subsidiaries and production sites. The Group’s four pillars are Scotch whiskies, ports, brandies, wines, rums and craft spirits from France.
For additional information see: www.la-martiniquaise.com
Over the years, the Glen Moray Distillery has built an exceptional portfolio of Speyside Single Malts. It currently offers a wide variety of select malts under the following portfolios:
The Elgin Classic Collection:
- Classic Single Malt
- Glen Moray Classic Sherry Cask Finish
- Glen Moray Classic Peated Single Malt Whisky
- Glen Moray Classic Port Cask Finish
- Classic Chardonnay Cask Finish
- Classic Cabernet Cask Finish
The Elgin Heritage Collection:
- Glen Moray Fired Oak 10 year old Single Malt Whisky
- Glen Moray 12 year old Single Malt Whisky
- Glen Moray 15 year old Single Malt Whisky
- Glen Moray 18 year old Single Malt Whisky
The Elgin Reserve Collection:
- Edinburgh Rugby Private Edition
The Elgin Prestige Collection:
- Glen Moray Mastery
Warehouse 1 Collection releases:
- Sauternes Cask Matured (2020)
Distillery tours are not currently available but the Distillery shop is open and limited outdoor whisky tastings are available. Visit the website for more information and updates.
Address:
Glen Moray Distillery
Bruceland Road
Elgin
IV30 1YE
Telephone: +44 (0)1343 550 900
Email: visitor.centre@glen-moray.co.uk
Facebook: @GlenMoray Distillery
Twitter: @GlenMorayDist
Instagram: glen moray whisky
References:
Press release care of Burt Greener Communications
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Moray_distillery