Thompson Bros. Glen Ord 12yo
Error 502 Bad Gateway | 54.6% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very good indeed.
TL;DR
A reminder to give Ord another chance
A Singleton That Needs To Be Single
All distilleries have the capability of becoming building sites at some time in their existence, especially during the midst of this whisky boom. In the curious case of the Glen Ord distillery, which is located in-between Inverness and Dingwall, it seems to be a constant theme of evolution, with builders encamped around the site. Something is always brewing at Glen Ord and not just within the washback room.
Today, Glen Ord is one of the biggest producers in Diageo’s enviable library of distilleries and is set in a historic farming region, which has long been associated with distilling. It’s ideally placed to produce whisky on a scale that few others can match. I’ll save the history lecture for another time, still do checkout all things Ferintosh for a detailed background. This central location also enables Glen Ord to provide a massive malting presence, as it moved from its own floors to Saladin Boxes in 1961, which were short lived, being replaced in 1968 by modern drum maltings. Today’s Ord supplies the northern end of the Diageo operation – from the joys of Clynelish to the rugged and overpriced island offerings from Talisker, meaning it's a huge and important cog within the inner workings of the Diageo machine.
This outline might paint the picture of a minor distillery with a greater emphasis on malting, however that wouldn’t be the case. The sizeable investment in 2014 expanded production once more and when I last visited the distillery in 2021, further work was taking place. I’ve not even bothered to catch up on what that was regarding, but Glen Ord is vast and sizeable while still being fairly overlooked.
“When Singleton of Glen Ord was first launched in Taiwan and Korea in 2006, it was an attempt by Diageo to attract consumers aged 25 to 35 to upgrade from blended Scotch to a single malt. Few would have thought that five years later the brand would challenge the top selling malts of the world”
The Singleton range was and remains Diageo’s attempt to bulk up and challenge the Speyside might of Glenfiddich and Glenlivet. Both of whom seem eternally entangled in a Godzilla bare knuckle rampage to the death. Has the move been successful? I suppose it depends on your definition or benchmark as to what constitutes success? By combining the distilleries under one umbrella they’ve detracted from the individual characters and histories of the components. And if I’ve not enjoyed a Singleton of Dufftown or Glendullan expression, which is very likely let’s be frank, then I’m not going to return to the watering hole for another pour of disappointment. There might be a greater number by combining, but the individualism of a whisky is a somewhat smudged and tainted association. Not that the Singletons are poor generally, just more mundane and safer at times.
Cadenhead’s just a couple of years ago had more parcels of Glen Ord than the Royal Mail had parcels, or that’s what it felt like. At one time, the infamous Edinburgh blackboard groaned under the sheer weight of listed Glen Ord’s. They were all of a similar age and vintage, but sat there seemingly undisturbed and overlooked. A recent visit highlighted that the same blackboard is now almost devoid of available whiskies – even the Ord have departed, aided by shop staff opening and pouring these for customers.
The days of shop pours in our post-pandemic life have come to a bitter end. I still recall the staff at the time being surprised by the quality of Glen Ord once opened and experienced. In doing so with visitors, the inventory cleared through the medium of trying, everyone overcame any preconceptions around the distillery. That’s the beauty of single casks and a more natural presentation.
So, on that sober note, it’s time to pour some Glen Ord and I’ve poured a sample for Dougie to provide his thoughts as well.
Review
Thompson Bros. Glen Ord 12yo Error 502 Bad Gateway Series, 54.6% ABV
Just 53 bottles in this edition were released at an approachable 54.6%. I cannot remember the price I paid in the ballot, but I’d envisage no more than £60. Ord just doesn’t attract big prices or demand, which are more justifications for checking it out.
As with the Error 502 Series, this is a very limited release, but I’ve used it as a gateway to encourage you to try more Glen Ord; either as an official bottling or an independent option. As a huge producer for Diageo, there is plenty of it to go around and explore.
Nose
Buttery apples, marzipan, pine cones and golden syrup. Melon, almonds, cinnamon and orange. Waxy, with nougat and adding water delivers an oiliness, more zest and vanilla custard.
Palate
Very easy drinking, apples, more orange zest and honey. Redberries, almonds, strawberries and chilli flakes. More oils are unlocked after adding water along with sherbet, mustard and citrus notes.
The Dregs
A fine example of Glen Ord and its qualities that everyone can appreciate. While this bottle is very limited and long gone, it’s reflective of my own whisky journey. Looking under stones and far-flung places for that next potential purchase. The message here can be broadened out to Glen Ord in general; a constant presence in most retailers in a variety of forms. As it’s the definitive overlooked Highland single malt.
Yes, the association with the Singleton range doesn’t help matters whatsoever. The waters become cloudy and as consumers we like to see signposts. Rolling several distilleries under one banner can create confusion and potentially spread disappointment. Arguably, Glen Ord is the most interesting of the Singleton producers and deserves better positioning by Diageo. Yet if there’s one thing that unites Diageo, Chivas and the other major players, it’s their inability to showcase their library of distilleries to maximum effect. Releases like this from the Thompson Bros. underline that disability, and why Glen Ord and many others like it, deserve better. For every successful distillery brand launch, or revamp, I can name 10 that didn’t go so well. A poor batting average in any realm, thankfully this bottling reminds us there’s still hope.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. DM
Dougie’s Review
Score: 7/10
Very good indeed.
TL;DR
An interesting experience—a little sharp in places but enjoyable all the same.
Nose
Bright and powerful nose—mineralic. Epoxy resin. Fruit toffee and the merest hint of sweet smoke. A touch of water and a more savoury sour cream note appears. Pivots to a very fresh airy nose, almost like a coastal themed soap. Smelly socks. Peshwari naan—bready coconut.
Palate
Interesting dryness, almost like a Marlborough white wine. Astringent at first. Dry fruitiness, tropical and sharp—again, similar to an edgy Sauvignon Blanc. Opens up after time to reveal some toffee popcorn with rogue salty bits amongst it. Fish and chips. Caramel sauce.
The Dregs
An interesting dram. I know nothing about it apart from what’s written on the wee sample bottle. There’s quite a lot going on: the profile shifts from savoury salty to bold, with rich sweetness between sips. There’s a very slight hint of smoke that permeates through the dram but moves towards savoury astringency, then back to just-about sweet but with a sharp edge.
A lot of time was needed to extract all this, and wee drops of water didn’t reveal too much more for me, tamping down a lot of the flavours and leaving a uniform profile. The follow up full-speed pour was more revealing. I think this tastes a bit like a Speyside, but a quick google shows me it’s a Highlander. To be honest, I’m not that far into Speyside whiskies, so I assume my brain is finding some similarities to the relatively few Speyside drams I’ve tried (maybe the Craigellachie)? I enjoyed this experience, but the persistent shift to the sour edginess caused a bit of aggro for me, so I think 7/10 feels appropriate. It’s really good whisky, but a bit too sharp in places. Thanks, Dallas, for the opportunity to try it!
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. DC
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