Rare Find - Spring '25 Release

Indie bottler Gleann Mór have recently reached their 10th birthday and released 4 new bottles in their Rare Find series.

Here's my thoughts on the Spring '25 Release.

Gleann Mór Spirits were founded in 2015 in a family kitchen, but today, they have a production facility and Stillhouse producing and bottling unique, award winning premium gins and other spirit products. They have a number of different product lines:

The Rare Find range celebrates the rich heritage from Scotland's distilleries. Each unique release is personally selected by our Spirits Manager to ensure our casks are only bottled when the time is right. Rarity is worth searching for.

We’re putting Whisky Row back on the map and resurrecting exquisite flavours from a bygone era. From smooth and sweet, rich and spicy to smoke and peat, Whisky Row covers the many flavours of Scotch whisky – and offers sublime spirits for everyday enjoyment and moments of celebration. It's history in a bottle.

If home is where the heart is, then we’ve nailed our colours firmly to the mast with Leith Spirits. From our stillhouse HQ in the heart of Edinburgh’s bustling port district, our classic creations are inspired by the cobbled streets that still echo with centuries of rich maritime history.

Edinburgh’s historic shores are no strangers to the exotic and the exceptional, with plenty of delicious cargoes welcomed across its cobbles. Today, we’re proud to continue that centuries-old tradition, bringing a taste of the Caribbean to this famous city, courtesy of our sublimely smooth and softly spiced rum.

Because Glasgow has always been close to our hearts, we wanted to create a gin that celebrated both the unique city and our family ties to its famous streets. Something fun, something playful, something Glasgow.

We work Firkin hard to put the zing in our award-winning range of gins. Every drop is packed with ten blissful botanicals, then quadruple distilled in our Edinburgh still room in small batches of around 250 bottles.

Wester Distillery is Glasgow's first rum maker in over three centuries. For Wester it’s all about the graft because we believe everyone deserves a decent rum. Just good, honest, no-nonsense spirit.

The London Distillery Company was established in 2011 as London's first new whisky distillery for over a century. Trailblazing the revival of the capital's distilling heritage, the company crafts exceptional spirits that reflect both tradition and modernity.

Speaking of the upcoming release, Greg Urquhart, Spirits Manager shared his excitement:

Marking the start of our 10th anniversary year our Spring releases feature unique 'firsts' in the brands' continuing journey. Showcasing four exceptional Scotch single malt whiskies, including a debut from Glen Ord, a collaborative team selection, and a first experiment using a rum cask.

"This latest collection is a testament to our relentless pursuit of quality and flavour, and each bottle tells a unique story, both of the liquid's maturation and of the journey of Rare Find over the last decade. We can't wait for whisky lovers to discover them and to find new favourites"

Rare Find sent me these samples, here's my honest thoughts:

Dailuaine

Cask number 7469, 16 Year Old, AYS 26/03/2008

First fill barrel, Foursquare Rum finish

ABV - 55.9%, 213 bottles

Nose: The nose is brimming with vanilla, citrus and crème fraîche.

Palate: Juicy on the palate with crème brûlée, orange, apple and candied ginger.

Finish: A slightly savoury finish ending with unsalted peanuts. 

My thoughts:

Appearance: pale gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, take an age to bead up and fall as slow thin legs.

Nose: vanilla custard, buttery popcorn and a little oak - almost grain like. There's some lime zest, digestive biscuit and a hint of spice to come.

Palate: dry sweet arrival: honey, toffee and tropical fruit. The spirit is really robust: thick, chewy and oily - lots of orchard fruit and a little malt, the ABV packs a real punch. Tropical fruit and vanilla from the rum cask blend nicely. There's a little salinity, lime juice and a huge kick of ginger spice as the liquid disappears.

Finish: lingering sweetness, malt and ginger spice.

Overall: I'm not usually keen on rum cask finishes, I think they add too much sickly sweetness to the whisky. I'm not told how long the finish has been on this dram but it's not overly sweet, lots of lovely tropical fruit and takes a drop of water.

Glen Garioch

Cask number 108, 16 Year Old, AYS 03/10/2008

First fill Barrique, Ribera del Duero finish

ABV - 55.4%, 309 bottles

Nose: Aromas of blackcurrant jelly, vanilla fudge, strawberry laces, and dark chocolate.

Palate: A warm and spicy palate delivering coffee and Chinese 5 spice.

Finish: A warm and spicy finish.. 

My thoughts:

Appearance: dark gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, bead up slowly and fall as slow thin legs.

Nose: Black Forest Gateau: hedgerow berries, cocoa powder, black cherries. Baked apple with caramel sauce, there's some vanilla, honey hints and a little spice.

Palate: thick chewy arrival: caramel, honey, Black Forest Gateau. There's a floral note - Turkish Delight, damp forest floor - that kind or thing. Berry jam and a little peppery spice finish things off nicely.

Finish: lingering peppery spice, berries and chocolate shavings.

Overall: this is right in my ballpark - wine cask finish of a thick chewy spirit - again it will take a drop of water - but perfect for a cold evening in front of a fire.

Secret Lowland

Cask number 715, 11 Year Old, AYS 15/04/2013

Refill Sherry Hogshead

ABV - 65.6%, 317 bottles

Nose: On the nose there is honey, caramel and rich dark fruits. 

Palate: The palate brings baked apples, raisins and cinnamon.

Finish: A warm and complex finish. 

My thoughts:

Appearance: dark gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, take an age to bead up and fall as slow thin oily legs.

Nose: dunnage funk, sherried dried fruit, dates, prunes and figs. Christmas cake mix steeping overnight! Next up a little almond marzipan with toffee, some honey sweetness, glacé cherries and a little liquorice.

Palate: delivers everything from the nose: liquid Christmas Cake! The ABV is huge and a little water is needed to dial things down a bit. Toffee pennies, strawberry liquorice and golden syrup add sweetness, maybe too much? After a few sips the mouth starts to dry, I think this is the ABV rather than the sherry cask. With water we get hints of cola cubes, black cherries and almonds.

Finish: short and sweet with dried fruit, strawberries and spice.

Overall: the ABV is huge on this one, it's nice neat but you need water to really get into the complexity.

Glen Ord

Cask number 9503, 10 Year Old, AYS 05/05/2014

Refill Barrique, Châteauneuf-du-Pape finish

ABV - 57.6%, 318 bottles 

Nose: Scents of rich chocolate cake, juicy cherries and rose petals.

Palate: On the palate; cranberries, strawberry jam and stewed rhubarb.

Finish: A warm and fruity finish..

My thoughts:

Appearance: dark gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, bead up slowly and fall as slow thin legs.

Nose: dry and musty to start but develops into berries and cherries. There's some trifle fingers, chocolate shavings and a little dried fruit.

Palate: a little thin to start - lots of berry and cherry notes, very drying and tannic. The ABV is much more drinkable on this one but it just doesn't have the complexity of the previous three - it's like alcoholic Ribena, too much overpowering fruit and not enough distillery character.

Finish: lingering fruit sweetness followed by dry spice.

Overall: I've had a Chateauneuf du Pape cask finish from Tullibardine and I think that was a little better. It's nice enough but I think had too long in the wine cask.