Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Glentauchers 1990 Aged 31 Years

Style: Sweet and Sherried

Rating: ☆ [Recommended]

Nose:

An interlude of salted caramel and savoury depth opens the experience, bordering on light sulphuric notes. Cherry Amaretto and gamey stew drift over a base of dark fruit compote. There’s an acrylic overtone while a strong peppermint backbone pierces through. Gradually, brighter notes of satsuma and fragrant blueberries emerge, with dark chocolate shavings converging at the back, revealing more layers of rich dark fruit as the aroma unfolds.

Palate:

The dark sherry theme continues—a magnificent cluster of dark fruits glides in, dusted with cinnamon, as the malt delivers a firm backbone. More dark fruits simmer on the mid-palate, taking on a hint of Ibérico jamón. Semi-molten chocolate is heavily spiked with black peppercorns. Fleeting flashes of sweet orange liqueur appear, though the distillate itself remains rather elusive. Nonetheless, it’s delicious.

Finish:

Citrus sweetness rises brightly toward the end, layered over a dark sherry base. Hints of lychee, chocolate, and gentle spice linger, leaving a sweet and fragrant impression.

Thoughts:

An old-school, Dunnage-style sherry bomb: Rich, intense, and just a little funky. The Glentauchers DNA hides beneath the sherry influence, but the overall experience is deeply satisfying. Despite its quirks, it offers solid complexity, depth, and flavour intensity. Not the most balanced perhaps, but certainly one to savour for its hearty, vintage charm.

[53.8% | Independent Bottling | 1990 Distilled | 2021 Bottled | 505 Bottles | Cask Strength | Single Cask | Batch Number: 22/009 | Cask Number: 14520 | First Fill European Oak Sherry Puncheon | *]

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