Quite happy with the bargain whiskies from Aldi. The ubiquitous supermarket chain has its own label, Glen Marnoch, and under this have released a variety of Scotches from different regions and age statements. Aldi tends to announce these ahead of release date, and only small allotments go to the stores, and then only selected stores.My good mate Dennis offered to do the queuing, so he picked up for us the 21 and 25 year olds, at $90 and $100 respectively. Show me a $100 25 year old anywhere else in the world..... They get some good press too.
There are quite a few distribution companies that acquire barrels from various distilleries and then bottle under their own labels (e.g. Gordon & MacPhail and Berry Bros & Rudd). But these will generally advise of the original distillery. Aldi does not do this, so their providence is a mystery.
A couple of weeks back I had great delight in pouring a couple of samples, sat in front of the Friday night TV, and sniffed, sniffed, sniffed and occasionally sipped. Over time the aromas opened up and changed subtly. The two are considerably different in this regard. Personally, I found the intrigue mostly on the nose, rather than the palate, although they are both very approachable, smooth, and long.
Glen Marnoch 21 year old
A: Cigar leaf, vanilla custard, dried apple & fig. Honey and caramel.
F: Base notes of vanilla, but plenty of brandied/candied fruit. Palate more interesting than the 25's flavour.
Glen Marnoch 25 year old
A: Faint acetone early, not unpleasant, evolving into pear, rosewater, vanilla, citrus peel, pudding. Orange notes later on. Far more interesting than the 21's aroma.
F: Smooth, sherry and fruit salad. Warming, but nothing particularly distinctive.
Looking forward to other releases, which from searches may include 18s, 24s, as well as different regions.
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