Glen Mhor 1965 Gordon & MacPhail 40% 1965

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Serge Valentin (89)

We'll be cautious, as some of these Glen Mhors have been a little difficult in the past. It's a big, dirty distillate that does not always stand heavy reduction, in my experience, but we're mainly talking about younger expressions bottled in the 1980s, for example. Having said that, the old official 'Jura-shaped' 10 years old was superb, and Valentino Zagatti's favourite tipple. The new enthusiast may like to know that the Inverness distillery got closed in 1983 and demolished in 1988. This very one was distilled when Glen Mhor was still independently owned, and while they were still using their Saladin maltings. G&M have bottled several 1965s at various ages throughout the years (early 1990s till mid 2000s). Let us proceed… Colour: golden amber. Nose: bingo, typical black earth, roasted chestnuts, old kettle and stove, fresh mushrooms of all kinds, soot, coffee and dark tobacco, black teas, old woods, old books, dried parsley… You'd almost believe you've entered an old antique shop in China. It's wonderful on the nose, but the palate will tell us more, especially if it did not get weakish. Well, according to the nose, the answer might be 'no'. Mouth: weird. It's a profile that's nowhere to be seen anymore these days, with rather a lot of polish, even soap, also bonbons, also dried mushrooms, coffee and tobacco, orangettes, even some yoghurt, more parsley, more soot, some ashes, some kind of meaty toffee, treacle pudding… In fact it rather stands the 40% vol. Finish: medium, saltier, with some kind of coal smoke, more tobacco and black tea, beef bouillon, ramen… The finish is lovely. Comments: a very dry whisky that the honest man (and woman) should have tried at least once. What a useless conclusion, I do agree.