Glen Moray celebrates 120 years with lim-ed bottling

La Martiniquaise-owned single malt Scotch distillery Glen Moray is marking its 120-year milestone with the launch of Mastery, a blend of five different vintages selected by master distiller Graham Coull.

Three of the five vintages used were laid down by Glen Moray's former distillers: Robert Brown, manager from 1959-1987; and Edwin Dodson, manager from 1987-2005. Two of Coull's vintages also feature, and in the final there is "evidence of techniques" first employed by Glen Moray's pioneers – James Haddow, manager from 1913-1927, and his son Alexander Haddow, manager from 1927 -1959. The resulting liquid is said to offer sugar crusted rhubarb crumble, chocolate raisins and oak smoked toasted almonds on the nose, while the palate comprises toasted coffee beans, melted dark chocolate and sweet raisins infused with fortified wine. "The Madeira casks that we’ve chosen to form the heart of the whisky relate back to the genuine traditions of Glen Moray experimenting with different, innovative techniques in maturation," said Coull. "It’s me putting a twist on the spirit that was made by previous generations of master distillers. "I wanted to bring in something from 1978, some of the oldest whisky in the warehouses, that represented whisky made by Robert Brown, the third generation of master distiller, who was at the helm of Glen Moray from 1959 until 1987 as well as casks filled in the eighties and nineties by my predecessor, Ed Dodson. "We’ve intertwined these with whisky that has spent its full term in first-fill Sherry casks and also a proportion that has been finished in port, to develop the layers of complexity in the overall bottling. "The port-finished whisky brings a little lightness, which we felt perfectly balances the more robust flavours of the sherry and madeira casks in the blend." Non-chill filtered and bottled at 52.3% vol, Glen Moray Mastery is available at the RRP of £800 from Gordon & Macphail, The Dufftown Whisky Shop, Master of Malt, Whisky Exchange, Scotch Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile and the Glen Moray Distillery.