Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 47.5%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon hogsheads first fill
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Morrison Distillers
Average price: € 60.00
Official website: www.carnmorwhisky.co.uk
Vote: 87/100
Roughly speaking, one of the most featured independent labels on the blog is Càrn Mòr, the well know Morrison Distillers brand. It must also be said that, from memory, we have never had a Càrn Mòr whisky that didn’t deserve credit, so we happily insist.
Unlike charcuterie (and not only charcuterie), whiskies don’t have an expiry date after which it is useless, or worse, bad for you, to drink them or talk about them, so we take the liberty of going back a year and recounting a release from 2021: Glenlossie, one of the voices of the great Diageo chorus that owes its best qualities to the independents, distilled in 2009, bottled after spending 11 years in first-fill hogsheads and offered in the Strictly Limited series. As always with Càrn Mòr, natural colour, no chillfiltration and an alcohol content of 47.5%ABV. 896 bottles were released on the market, still widely available in Italy, and at an excellent price.
Tasting notes
The colour is a beautiful full gold.
On the nose, after a slight peppering on entry, it’s a triumph of floral and fruity notes: from violets to yellow apples, with a hint of acidity reminiscent of granny smith; from cyclamen to apricot jam. As the minutes go by, a hint of vanilla emerges distinctly, which at first seemed decidedly subordinate. A reminder of tart with a generous sprinkling of icing sugar completes a harmonious and captivating picture that prompts one to overcome hesitation and approach the drink with confidence. Many hours later, the empty glass releases an intoxicating scent of vanilla.
On the palate, a fresh fruit salad imposes itself, with peach on the shields, and yellow apple and apricot a little further back, along with a hint of black tea and a touch of shortbread, here the vanilla appears distant.
Surprisingly, the finish turns creamy (although the peach and black tea demand not to be forgotten), before settling on vague floral nuances that, in a sense, close the circle with the nose.
A cuddly and drinkable Glenlossie, perhaps the best drunk so far. The gradation enhances the different aromas, while the deeper nature of the distillate and the influence of the casks seem to accord, as a famous TV chef used to say, ‘in a perfect love marriage’.