Glen Moray Rioja Cask whiskies Warehouse 1 releases
Glen Moray Rioja Cask whiskies – two limited edition single malts to emerge from the legendary blue door. Philip Day discusses these new additions to the distillery’s experimental Warehouse 1 Collection and provides tasting notes.
Glen Moray Warehouse 1
The deep blue doors of Glen Moray’s ‘Warehouse 1’ have released another couple of hidden gems for whisky lovers to savour.
Glen Moray single malt Scotch whisky is inviting whisky fans to explore the rich depths that Rioja red wine casks have brought to its spirit, with two new small batch, limited editions – Glen Moray Rioja Cask Matured and Glen Moray Peated Rioja Cask Finish.
Created from some of the distillery’s earliest experiments with Rioja casks, these intensely fruity cask-strength single malts are the latest additions to the distillery’s much-loved Warehouse 1 Collection.
As part of their Warehouse 1 experiments, Glen Moray’s whisky makers sourced Rioja red wine casks from Spain, intrigued to see how the wood’s rich tannins and stone-fruit flavours would influence their whisky.
Indeed, Glen Moray has been distilling the finest single malts and exploring how wood can influence whisky’s taste in Speyside, since 1897. Records show that the distillery’s founders aged their spirit in an astonishing array of casks. Their experimental ways still inspire Glen Moray’s craftsmen to this day – especially the whiskies of the Warehouse 1 Collection. Taking its name from the warehouse in which Glen Moray matures its most trailblazing single malts, this limited series invites the most inquisitive whisky explorers on a journey of discovery.
The team began by laying down new-make spirit in these sourced casks for a full maturation, which resulted in the deep and fruity Glen Moray Rioja Cask Matured expression. Layering notes of cherries and plums with hints of leather and oak, this eight-year-old whisky is a uniquely full-bodied take on the distillery’s classic Speyside style.
A few years later, with a very different whisky in mind, they took a lightly peated Glen Moray whisky aged in bourbon casks and transferred it into other Rioja casks for an inventive finish. Aged 11 years, Glen Moray Peated Rioja Cask Finish is soft and gently smoky, uniting sweet notes of plums and cherries with hints of far-off bonfires to bring a new dimension to Glen Moray spirit.
Image – Glen Moray Brand Ambassador Iain Allan
Commenting on the two new releases, Glen Moray Brand Ambassador Iain Allan said:
‘The whiskies of our Warehouse 1 Collection are among some of our most intriguing single malts. And these two limited editions aged in Rioja red wine casks are sure to appeal to inquisitive whisky enthusiasts.
Deep and fruity, with notes of cherries, plums and leather, Glen Moray Rioja Matured is a dram as rich as it is rare, whilst our Peated Rioja Finish offers a delicious smoky take on our Speyside whisky.
We are confident that both will appeal to the whisky lovers worldwide.’
Let’s have a closer look at these releases:
Glen Moray Warehouse 1 Rioja Cask Matured 2015
Tasting Notes (Supplied by Glen Moray):
- Nose: Aromas of cherries, plums and green grapes are layered with scents of caramel and herbs. Then come rich notes of vintage leather.
- Taste: Full-bodied, with fruity tobacco sweetness contrasted by tannins and a tingling acidity.
- Finish: Fruit notes come to the fore as hints of tobacco and oak fade into more tannic tones.
- Natural colour, non-chill filtered
- Bottled in 70cl at 59.8% ABV
- RRP: £86.75
Personal tasting notes (Official sample kindly provided by Glen Moray through Burt Greener Communications)
- Nose: A strongly layered mixture of creamy caramel toffee infused with aromas of cherries and ripe plums. There’s an additional bouquet of floral/herby notes adding notes of aged leather and tobacco for good measure.
- Taste: An intense hit of blackberries, cherries and ripe damsons combined with background elements of leathery oakiness with hints of lightly spiced fruit loaf helps create a dram of substance.
- Finish: As earlier hints of tobacco fade, sweeter fruit notes come forward with toasted nut and vanilla elements.
- To sum up, the maturation period has created a well-rounded layered classic dram. The rich hints of wood and the dark autumnal fruity notes added to the slightly peppered, sweet and warming finish make it very accessible.
Glen Moray Warehouse 1 Peated Rioja Cask Finish 2012
Tasting Notes (Supplied by Glen Moray):
- Nose: Subtle peat smoke entwines around aromas of toffee, fairground candy floss and orchard fruits.
- Taste: Gentle bonfire hints lead on to soft suggestions of plums and cherries, followed by tannins, a subtle acidity and spice.
- Finish: Long and lingering, as smoke floats over tobacco and more sweet stone fruits.
- Natural colour, non-chill filtered
- Bottled in 70cl at 58.8% ABV
- RRP: £104.50
Personal tasting notes (Official sample kindly provided by Glen Moray through Burt Greener Communications)
- Nose: A strong mixture of caramel toffee infused with a bouquet of floral notes of sweet autumnal fruits that adds subtle peat smoke for good measure.
- Taste: A gentle hit of an elegant peaty smoke serves to underpin other flavours. This includes rich, sweet elements of autumnal stone fruit like plums and damsons, delicious warmed figs and ripe blackberries served with hints of toasted nuts and dark chocolate. This finally leads to slightly acidic tannins from the oak and a slight hint of pepper.
- Finish: Sweet, long-lasting smokiness lingers with more stewed fruits notes.
- By allowing the whisky to fully mature first in ex-bourbon casks prior to finishing in ex-Rioja casks has given the spirit time to interact perfectly, instilling it with a unique character.
Both new Warehouse 1 expressions are available in the UK from https://www.masterofmalt.com and select specialist whisky retailers.
Glen Moray Distillery
Glen Moray Distillery
Bruceland Road
Elgin
IV30 1YE
Telephone: +44 (0)1343 550 900