Glen Garioch

Glen Garioch (say 'glen geery') sits in Oldmeldrum, a small town in the farming country north west of Aberdeen. The distillery dates its founding to 1797, which puts it among the oldest working distilleries in Scotland. It is owned by Suntory Global Spirits, formerly Beam Suntory.

The distillery was closed for a short spell in the mid 1990s. Older Glen Garioch was made with peated malt and can be noticeably smoky, while spirit distilled since the reopening is unpeated, so vintages from before and after that time can taste quite different.

Today's style is full and malty, with fruit, vanilla and a slightly waxy, spicy character. Official bottlings include Founder's Reserve and the 12 Year Old, bottled at a higher strength without chill filtration, plus older ages and vintage releases such as the 17 Year Old and 1990s vintages.

Glen Garioch is also bottled by independent bottlers, including Douglas Laing, Hunter Laing, Duncan Taylor (The Octave), Berry Bros. & Rudd, Adelphi, Càrn Mòr, Murray McDavid and That Boutique-y Whisky Company. These are often single casks with the cask number and vintage on the label.