The Glenturret Core Collection 2023 Whisky Feature
The Glenturret, the esteemed distillery based in Perthshire, has just released The Glenturret Core Collection 2023. Philip Day looks closely at the newly released single malts.
The Glenturret 2023 from Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery
Last month, Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery, The Glenturret, announced the release of their Core Collection for 2023, comprising eight signature whiskies this year. For the first time, a 35 Years Old expression joins the range, created from a single European Oak sherry butt chosen for its unusually complex personality.
The collection has been crafted by The Glenturret’s celebrated Whisky Maker, Bob Dalgarno, who after his near-four decades in the Scotch Whisky industry was introduced into the Whisky Hall of Fame in December 2022.
The first five whiskies in the 2023 core collection are made up of Triple Wood (the Triple Wood 2022 Collection won best Scotch Whisky in the world at the IWSC this March), the 7 Years Old Peat Smoked, 10 Years Old Peat Smoked, 12 Years Old and 15 Years Old.
The Glenturret Core Collection 2023 – distinctive fruity spirit
This year’s annual release continues to showcase the distillery’s distinctive fruity spirit style amidst the ever-evolving canvas of maturing wood characters, with a range of new 2023 whiskies. Joining the five new expressions in the 2023 collection are three rare single malts that are being released in highly limited numbers.
The Glenturret Core Collection 2023 – 25 Years Old
The first is the 25 Years Old, which has fast become a collector’s item since it first launched in 2020. This expression was created from six casks stowed in The Glenturret’s traditional Dunnage warehouses for a quarter of a century. European oak brings rich fruit, aromatic spices and oak notes; American oak adds sweetness and vanilla with refill casks offering touches of citrus.
Only 210 bottles will be available worldwide.
The Glenturret Core Collection 2023 – 30 Years Old
The Glenturret 30 Years Old, limited to 500 bottles, is derived from a search for specific flavours that were found in five precious older casks. The European oak cask imparts a traditional rich fruit flavour combined with hints of brandy and ginger, while a port pipe imbues a warm ruby hue and touches of red fruits. Sweeter notes of tropical fruit salad and bananas are inspired by the character of The Glenturret’s delicate new make spirit added by two American oak hogsheads.
The Glenturret Core Collection 2023 – 35 Years Old
The final and completely new expression in the 2023 release is a spectacular 35 Years Old, with just 185 bottles available. The liquid is derived from a single European Oak sherry butt, chosen for its unusually complex personality. Alongside the expected traditional character of dried fruits, spices and oak sits notes of tropical fruit and vanilla more commonly derived from American Oak. Three and half decades of quiet maturation have cultivated a whisky that is multifaceted yet refined.
Glenturret’s Managing Director John Laurie
Speaking about the creation of the 2023 release, The Glenturret’s Managing Director John Laurie said:
Bob Dalgarno and our expert team have once more excelled on every level in creating the 2023 Core Collection. The passion, time and energy that has gone into each of the exceptional expressions they have created is something that myself and our whole team at the distillery are incredibly proud of.
We release a new collection each year, trying to create something special each year, so hopefully our customers will enjoy the new 2023 Collection as much as we do!
- The new Glenturret range will be available at select retailers & distributors and online at www.theglenturret.com.
- The Extremely Scarce collection (25 Years Old, 30 Years Old and the new 35 Years Old) will be available for pre-order sales, with bottles available for delivery in late summer.
The Glenturret Core Collection 2023 – a closer look at the releases
Tasting Notes: (Supplied by The Glenturret through Simon+Simon Communications)
The Glenturret Triple Wood
TOFFEE apple, CITRUS and FRESHLY CUT OAK. Gentle WOOD spices. GINGER with VANILLA leads to a light, soft, fruity finale. 43%vol. Natural Colour.
The Glenturret 7 Years Old Peat Smoked
Light smoke floats with VANILLA and sweet aromatics. CITRUS, fresh GREEN OAK and SULTANAS accompany a meandering peat smoke finish. 46%vol. Natural Colour. Non-Chill-Filtered.
The Glenturret 10 Years Old Peat Smoked
Dark smoke from a newly lit fire, sweet CITRUS and VANILLA. SALTED CARAMEL leads into SMOKY WOOD SPICES which drift into the distance. 48.4%vol. Natural Colour. Non-Chill-Filtered
The Glenturret 12 Years Old
RICH RAISINS and SULTANAS open, VANILLA and CINNAMON follow. GINGER and hints of NUTMEG are warming. Hedgerow fruits and MATURING OAK closes. 46.4%vol. Natural Colour. Non-Chill-Filtered.
The Glenturret 15 Years Old
TOFFEE SPONGE with CINNAMON AND FRUIT SYRUP. APPLES and summer fruits entwined with SWEET SPICES. Aged oak finishes with a TOUCH OF SMOKE. 50.8%vol. Natural Colour. Non-Chill-Filtered.
The Glenturret 25 Years Old
Aromatic cinnamon with ginger, sultana, raisin, and apple. Demerara sugar sprinkled on FRESHLY BAKED PASTRY. Subtle notes of SWEET VANILLA. Aged oak adds time. Reminiscent of a bygone era, OAK LEADS ON THE PALATE. CITRUS and BOILED SWEETS FOLLOW then dark fruits return. A VELVETY TEXTURE with a WARMING FINISH OF WOOD SPICES. 42.6%vol. Cask Strength. Natural Colour. Non-Chill-Filtered.
The Glenturret 30 Years Old
A SUMMERS DAY PICNIC – tropical fruit salad and RIPENING BANANAS with a garnish of PRUNES AND FIGS. Sweet brandy snaps dusted with ginger and cinnamon. A compote of red fruits topped by MERINGUE and vanilla ice cream delivers a FRUITY FINISH shaded by subtle oak. 42.7%vol. Cask Strength. Natural Colour. Non-Chill-Filtered.
The Glenturret 35 Years Old
A SINGLE CASK with a complex personality. CARAMELISED TROPICAL FRUITS, soft MARSHMALLOW and RICH VANILLA CUSTARD. DRIED RAISINS interwoven with notes of TOASTED OAK. CINNAMON and BRIGHT WOOD SPICES precede citrus fruits and sultanas with hints of oak and sweet vanilla. A LINGERING FRUITY FINISH sprinkled with BURSTS OF WARM SPICE. 42.8%vol. Cask Strength. Natural Colour. Non-Chill-Filtered.
About The Glenturret
Crafted at Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery since 1763 entirely by hand in exclusive small batches, The Glenturret Single Malt is defined by its outstanding quality and exquisite taste.
Located in the ‘Hosh’, Crieff, surrounded by the beautiful Perthshire countryside, The Glenturret offers daily distillery tours, whisky flights at the Lalique Bar, a dedicated retail store including an exclusive Lalique Boutique, and The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant, the distillery’s Michelin Star unique dining experience.
The extraordinary history of the Glenturret Distillery
1763: The first historical record
In 1763, a document relating to Sir Patrick Murray of Ochtertyre made reference to Thurot Distillery, the earliest known name for Glenturret. The Murrays of Ochtertyre were local landowners and farmers, and passionate brewers and distillers. The 1763 record states that Thurot Distillery had been ‘several years not charged’, which means it was not operating at that time. So we can assume the Murrays were distilling on this spot before 1763 – making The Glenturret Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery.
1814: New owners. New neighbours
In 1814, the Murray family sold Thurot Distillery to Thomas MacInnes, who renamed it The Hosh Distillery. (It remained The Hosh until 1873, when The Glenturret name was reinstated for good.) Around this time, MacInnes’ uncle, Thomas McComish, also started to operate the nearby mill as a distillery. Both distilleries were similar in size, and it is likely that uncle and nephew worked closely together to run both operations, they were collaborators, competitors, but most of all, dedicated whisky-makers.
1825: The Ochtertyre Agreement
In 1825, local distillers and grain merchants John and Hugh Drummond bought The Hosh Distillery. The brothers also secured the Ochtertyre Agreement, which granted the distillery explicit permission to use both water from Loch Turret and peat from the riverbank in its production. A marriage of land and spirit.
1828: The rushing stream
A tributary of the River Tay, the River Turret has always provided the distillery with an unparalleled source of water. In its Latin form ‘Torreglen’, Glenturret means land of the rushing stream. Several times in the distillery’s long history, great floods have pushed the river to breaking point, as was the case during the great storm of 1828, when the Perthshire Courier reported that the distillery was ‘completely inundated’ with water, and ‘the utensils carried off and spirits destroyed.’
1853: The Hosh comes to London
In November 1853, an advert in the Morning Advertiser announced the arrival of whisky from Glen Turret to London society: ‘To Coffee-rooms or Parlours – the celebrated Hosh Scotch Malt Whisky, being an article unrivalled in London, may be introduced to great advantage.’
1887: Time worn experience
Famed chronicler of Victorian-era distilleries Alfred Barnard visited The Glenturret Distillery in the 1880s. Barnard commented: ‘Here are no new fads, appliances, or patents, but, like the buildings, the vessels are all of the ancient pattern.’ Even back then, The Glenturret was considered remarkably traditional, operated as it always had been – with time worn experience and a respect for the craft.
1890: The Mitchell Brothers
By the late 19th century, two more brothers were at the helm of The Glenturret. David and William Mitchell were Scots-born whisky merchants with global ambitions. In 1886 they had purchased Connswater Distillery in Belfast, one of the largest in the British Isles at the time, and in 1890, they added The Glenturret to their portfolio. Soon, this famed family of distillers, merchants and blenders were exporting their whisky to Australia, the USA and South Africa.
1923: The Glenturret falls silent
The Mitchell brothers passed the business on to their respective sons, who ran the distillery as a family business until the challenging times of the 1920s. High duty rates, alcohol prohibition in the USA and a growing support for the temperance movement saw the virtual collapse of the Scottish whisky industry – and by 1923, production at The Glenturret had stopped. While the distillery was silent, it was reported that 96,000 gallons of whisky continued to mature in its warehouses. A small, dedicated team continued to look after this precious stock, whilst maintaining the distillery for future generations.
1957: Bringing back the magic
In 1957, James Fairlie purchased The Glenturret Distillery, which had been silent for over 30 years. Fairlie was a visionary with the ambition ‘to preserve the traditional methods of distilling and to grow the appreciation for whisky.’ He sought to bring back the magic of the past and reinstated the original distilling equipment. Fairlie subsequently led the distillery for over 20 years as both Director and Master Distiller.
1980: The Glenturret opens its doors
James Fairlie believed The Glenturret’s exceptional whisky-making heritage should be celebrated. In 1980, he established a distillery visitor centre, one of the first in Scotland. In the early years, one visitor described The Glenturret as ‘the nearest thing to a one-man distillery in Scotland.’ Fairlie’s dedication to preserving the work of Glenturret’s pioneers, and taking it to the modern world, was clear to one and all.
1991: One million visitors
Just 11 years later, in 1991, The Glenturret welcomed its millionth visitor. While no longer the owner of the distillery, Fairlie’s vision had truly been realised. Two years later, and now owned by Highland Distillers Ltd, The Glenturret welcomed British Prime Minister John Major as a visitor – underlining the distillery’s provenance.
2014: A right royal visit
In 2014, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the distillery during an official tour of Scotland. Known as the Earl and Countess of Strathearn in Scotland, William and Kate enjoyed a dram – and also hand-filled and signed a bottle, which is now stored at the distillery in preparation for future auction.
2019: New owners
In March 2019, The Glenturret Distillery was purchased by a joint venture led by The Lalique Group, a French luxury lifestyle company.
2020: A defining moment
In September 2020, after more than 250 years of distilling, The Glenturret embarks on the next stage of its journey – bringing its exclusive single malt to thousands of whisky lovers worldwide. With a completely new range crafted by the highly respected Whisky Maker, Bob Dalgarno, this is an era-defining moment that unites Glenturret’s contemporary elegance with the distillery’s long-standing reputation for traditional craftsmanship.
Contact information
Address:
The Glenturret Distillery
The Hosh
Crieff
Perthshire
PH7 4HA
Scotland
Telephone: +44 (0)1764 656565
Website: https://theglenturret.com/
References
The Glenturret website
Press release provided by The Glenturret and Simon+Simon Communications
Images
Kindly provided with thanks by The Glenturret and Simon+Simon Communications