Glen Garioch 2008/2022 Old Malt Cask 13 years old Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 50%

Old Malt Cask is the range where Hunter Laing always lands on 50%. Not because the number is magic, but because it leaves the cask room to speak without the strength taking over. Here it is a refill hogshead filled in October 2008.

The expert's description

Glen Garioch 2008/2022 Old Malt Cask 13 Year Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a refill hogshead and bottled at 50%.

The cask was filled in October 2008 and emptied in February 2022 after 13 years. A refill hogshead gives less wood than a 1st fill cask, and that is exactly why the dry, cereal-driven core of the Glen Garioch spirit stands out so clearly here. The bottling produced 352 bottles, non-chill filtered and with no added colour.

Hunter Laing runs Old Malt Cask as the workhorse of its ranges. The company was carved out of Douglas Laing in 2013 when the brothers split the portfolio, and Stewart Laing took Old Malt Cask across to the new firm. Since then they have built Ardnahoe distillery on Islay.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dry apple fritters, malt and a hint of heather honey. Over the fruit sits a dusty, almost papery note you often meet in Glen Garioch from used casks.

Palate

Cereal and firm. Green apples, pear and pale caramel, with a peppery edge from the 50%. Not sweet, more taut and malt-driven.

Finish

Medium and dry. Malt, a little baked apple and a peppery warmth that lingers on the palate.

Specifications

Name: Glen Garioch 2008/2022 Old Malt Cask 13 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 50%
Distillery: Glen Garioch
Bottler: Hunter Laing
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill hogshead
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: October 2008
Bottled: February 2022
Number of bottles: 352
Edition: Old Malt Cask
EAN no.: 5060354278703

Flavour profile

Malty · Fruity · Dry · Spiced

Did you know?

When brothers Fred and Stewart Laing divided Douglas Laing between them in 2013, Old Malt Cask followed Stewart into Hunter Laing. The range carried on largely unchanged — the same fixed bottling strength, a new owner's name on the label.

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Frequently asked questions about Glen Garioch 2008/2022 Old Malt Cask 13 Year Old

Why is Old Malt Cask always bottled at 50%?

It is the range's signature. Hunter Laing settled on 50% because it is high enough to carry the cask's character and low enough to drink neat without water. You get a recognisable frame across very different distilleries.

What is the difference between a refill hogshead and a 1st fill cask?

A refill cask has already handed part of its sweetness and wood over to a previous whisky. That means less vanilla and less colour, but also more room for the distillery character. Here it is the dry Glen Garioch malt that leads.

How does this compare with the official Glen Garioch 12 Year Old?

It is drier and more cereal-led. Official Glen Garioch releases are often rounded off with sherry casks, while this one sat in a used bourbon cask the whole way and therefore shows the spirit more plainly.

Is it peated?

No. The spirit dates from 2008, by which time Glen Garioch had long been using unpeated malt. There is a dryness some people read as smoke, but that is malt and cask, not peat.

What is the difference between Hunter Laing and Douglas Laing?

They were the same company until 2013. When the brothers split it, Stewart Laing took Old Malt Cask and Old & Rare into Hunter Laing, while Fred kept Douglas Laing and blends such as Big Peat and Scallywag. Both houses still bottle single casks from across Scotland. See the rest of the range under Scotch Whisky.

Should I add water?

Try it neat first. At 50% it carries perfectly well without water, but a few drops soften the peppery edge and pull the apple forward. Go much further and it thins out quickly.

What defines Glen Garioch as a distillery?

Its location. Glen Garioch sits in Oldmeldrum in Aberdeenshire and is the most easterly working malt distillery in Scotland. The style is drier and more cereal-driven than the softer Speyside profile, and the distillery has been running since 1797.