Glenturret Triple Wood
Official 2023 Release | 43% ABV
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
As steps in the journey go, this one’s nice, if a bit safe
The steps we take
Having only a small handful of distillery visits under my belt thus far, I consider each to be another enjoyable step in this whisky ‘journey’. I have a strong suspicion I’ll always get a thrill from a peek behind the scenes.
To my mind, it’s a glimpse into a wonderful and somewhat mystical world of whisky production; all that alchemy of barley, yeast and water meeting to one day create the amber nectar we know and love. And of course, distillery tours are now big business for Scottish tourism, with SWA figures for distillery visits in 2022 clearing the two million mark.
If I can be honest, and for those of us hailing from Scotland, there can be a certain ingrained - what would you call it? - world weariness maybe, towards all things touristy on our home turf. We’ll often sniff at all the tartan and castles; been there, seen it, done it and got several t-shirts, thanks all the same.
But one of the things I love about whisky is its ability to bring sheer joy about being a no-holds-barred, enthusiastic geek while unapologetically proud about it being something very Scottish. Yes, that something is still one of those touristy things which other parts of the world lump together with all the tartan and castles, but it’s different, it’s glorious, glorious whisky.
I am a self-confessed whisky geek and proud to be so, and I thoroughly enjoy being a wide-eyed whisky tourist too - as well as always taking the chance to share that passion with other similarly-minded folk.
In the first flurry of my whisky excitement, while trying the wares from a particular distillery, I’ve found it useful, not to mention fascinating, to look out some more information online. What region a distillery is based in, for example, is handy to know for perhaps obvious reasons, since you get an advance hint of the kind of characteristics and flavours you might expect to search for in your glass. But I also feel like, knowing more about a distillery’s origins and unique history adds a certain ceremony to the whole experience, especially when trying a dram for the first (or even second or third!) time. A story and a dram, the two gang thegither like … well maybe I’m thinking of “freedom and whisky,” but hopefully you catch my drift…
Stepping into a distillery’s origin story, and the sense of place with which its whisky is rooted in, are - to me - a big part of the magic and mystique. It can become inextricably linked with our experience of the whisky itself: the nose, the flavours, inspiring images of pagoda-decorated roof tops, white washed walls, or perhaps vertigo and engineering marvels, if you’ve ventured a visit to the Port of Leith’s new nine-storey vertical distillery (it’s still on my to-do list – a fear of being atop vertiginous places being one of my personal crosses to bear, though I’m still keen to make the visit).
And after all, isn’t this the case with our memorable experiences in general? When I visit Edinburgh now, it feels like every street is linked to a memory from my university days, my first tentative steps into employment and Scottish life in general, which followed. A wander up Calton Hill at the east end of Princes Street is indelibly associated with steaming cups of takeaway hot chocolate, a two-fer sugar-boosted, hand-warming habit when taking what was usually a cold, windy Sunday walk, to blow away those Saturday night hangover cobwebs. A wander through the tree-lined walkways of the Meadows brings back memories of escaping the nearby university library, to laze about on the grass on summer days, sitting with a pen and A4 pad poised, pretending to work on that overdue essay.
My recent visit to what is apparently Scotland’s oldest working distillery, Glenturret, was another thrilling step for me. Looking back over my whisky notes, my first run at a Glenturret dram was as recently as summer of last year, trying their 10yo Peat Smoked, closely followed by their Triple Wood, both released in 2022. I was seriously impressed.
So it was with bouncy enthusiasm that I jumped into my car for a visit a few weekends ago, taking the one hour or so journey from Glasgow to Crieff. I booked the standard tour, and John, our tour guide, pulled out all the stops. Personable and funny, he filled us in on the distillery’s illustrious and long-standing history, as well as the whisky-making process, all the while ensuring to drop in those little gems of legend and anecdote, which help make the experience a step above what can be gleaned from just genning yourself up online.
And the place itself – it’s that picture-perfect, white-washed walled, pagoda-roofed vision you’ve been hoping for, complete with resident distillery cats “Glen” and “Turret,” who did their level best to distract our group’s attention from John at every opportunity – no longer master mousers, it’s the photo ops they’re chasing today.
As part of the standard tour, we got to sample the 2023 Triple Wood release – the perfect opportunity to compare my findings with last year’s award winner – even if I was a little disappointed not to try more from the latest releases range. Buoyed by the excitement of the tour itself, and a little dazzled by the Lalique glass chandelier hanging aloft the black marble tasting bar, my taste buds were equally enthralled – so let’s see how this dram fares back home, in the significantly less distinguished surroundings of my Glasgow flat.
Review
Glenturret Triple Wood, 2023 Release, American and European Sherry-seasoned casks and ex-bourbon barrels, 43% ABV
£62 at the distillery (cheaper elsewhere) and generally available
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
As steps in the journey go, this one’s nice, if a bit safe
Nose
Creamy vanilla, with sweet fudge-y undertones opens the proceedings, sharing the lead with a breezy tropical fruitiness, with backing vocals supplied by delicate orchard fruits, and a mild grassy note underlying the whole.
I like how balanced this is on the nose. There are no one-two punches happening here, instead we get what feels almost like a masterclass in a perfectly poised composition of the combined elements.
Palate
Smooth creamy bourbon vanilla takes the lead here, with that tropical fruit flavour coming through too, followed by a subtle kick of warming ginger and spice, holding our interest, without overpowering things.
I also get some fruit cake and soaked raisins coming through on the finish, adding some nice richness and depth to the flavour profile.
The Dregs
The ABV has dropped from 45% in the 2022 release, to 43% here. It would be nice to see a slightly higher ABV in place, rather than lower, although in this case I don’t feel it makes much of an impact overall, having tried both, albeit with several months in between.
I can see why this is the chosen dram for the standard tour tastings – its flavour profile is likely to hold wider appeal, which the peat-smoked varieties might not. Now, personally I’m a bit of a peat-fiend, and have really enjoyed both their 7-year and 10-year peat smoked releases, which would normally have been my go-to purchases, but I decided to try this one instead and add something different to my home bottle collection.
On initial tasting, if you tend to favour stronger, punchier flavour profiles in general, this is one which might well get overlooked. And this is something I love about owning a bottle rather than just trying a single dram (if I get the chance, and can afford to) – this dram feels like it will lend itself to slow, considered appreciation, and repeat visits.
As I consider the Dramface scoring guide, I’m giving this one a solid 6/10 – meaning for me it’s an enjoyable, easy-going dram. However, it’s a little over priced at £62 for a NAS release with a lowish ABV especially when we remember the 2022 release came in at just £50.
In the glittering tasting bar, I was more enthused, but back home I’m finding it to be just a little on the safe side, and slightly lacking in any kind of wow-factor. There are some fantastic, lower-priced, higher ABV and frankly pulse-pounding drams being released right now (Glasgow Distillery I’m looking at you), so perhaps this quieter dram suffers a little by comparison.
As you’ll note from the images, I’m still in the neck-pour end of the tasting experience with my bottle, and look forward to seeing how it develops for me over time. A well-balanced dram, and one to savour and appreciate for its subtle flavour profile.
Is it exciting? For me, not so much, at this stage – but am I glad I purchased it? Absolutely, I’m always glad to have another ‘step’ added to the collection, even if it’s a safe one.
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. PMc
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