Another distillery whose name starts with “Glen” and another that is quite unsung. Glentauchers is located in the Speyside and is part of Pernod Ricard’s portfolio. I can’t remember if we passed it while in the Speyside a couple of weeks ago—it did feel like we’d driven past every single Speyside distillery—but I don’t believe they have a visitors centre anyway. It’s another distillery that I have very little experience of: I’ve only ever reviewed one other. In that review I noted that I didn’t even know how the name of the distillery was pronounced. Almost five years later, I can proudly tell you that I have a better idea of that. Unless I’m completely confused—happens a few times a hour—it’s pronounced “Glen-tockers”. And if you do a deep dive on Google maps, you’ll see that there is a burn/small river named Tauchers in the Keith/Mulben area—as this is the area in which we coincidentally stayed, it’s likely I suppose that we did pass the distillery. Fascinating, I know. 

Glentauchers 17, 1996 (51.4%; Whisky Doris, “Nose Art”; bourbon barrel; from a purchased sample)

Nose: Very fruity off the top with orange, pineapple and tart apple. Below that there’s a bit of vanilla and then some spicy oak. The oak builds as it sits and takes on a slightly grainy edge. With more time the oak recedes and the fruit gets more intense: some plum in there too now. The fruit intensifies further with a few drops of water.

Palate: Fruity here too but less intensely so; far less of the oak here as well. The texture is fine. On the second sip there’s more citrus (lemon–>lime) and it gets muskier too. With more time that grainy oak from the nose shows up here too. Water doesn’t do much for the palate.

Finish: Medium-long. Citrus and oak and in pretty good balance. Spicier with time. Less fruity and more oaky with water.

Comments: A very good fruity Speyside whisky of its type. A little more depth and a little less oak and it would be in the next tier. As it is this would be a great everyday drinker for the summer months.

Rating: 84 points.