Glenturret 12 2023 release - 46.4%

Distillery notes

The true heart and soul of our range of whiskies. Crafted with utmost care and expertise, this remarkable spirit embodies the essence of tradition and refinement. Fewer than sixty carefully selected casks come together to create The Glenturret 12 Years Old - crafted by hand and forming the heart of our range. 

American oak casks drive the salted caramel sweetness whilst European oak layers the dried fruits and spices leading to a full rich single malt at 46.4% ABV.

Tasting notes:

Appearance: Burnished gold, forms a thin line which initially develops into an inverted crown before falling as oily legs.

Nose: California raisins and juicy sultanas, stewed orchard fruit with cinnamon and nutmeg, caramel sauce and vanilla pods. 

Palate: Soft, creamy mouthfeel. Apple strudel with sultanas, nutmeg and cinnamon, topped with toasted almonds and caramelised Demerara sugar, then smothered in vanilla ice cream. With a little more time, more dried fruit and orange peel notes appear.

Finish: Orange peel brings a slight bitterness, whilst the oak spice now comes to the fore providing spicy warmth and mild astringency.

Summary: This release of the Glenturret 12 is a decent whisky, and carries a slightly greater degree of complexity in the palate over the 2022 release. For me though, it’s not quite as enjoyable due to the mild bitterness and oakiness in the finish.

Price this year on the Glenturret website is around £77, a significant increase on last year and one which I’d struggle to justify paying when there are already a large number of more interesting whiskies in the same price bracket.

If you would like to know more about the whiskies and the Glenturret distillery, follow the link to the company website.

Transparency: this sample pack was received free of charge for independent review. The author has no affiliation with the bottler, all opinions are my own and remain completely impartial.