This 2006 Glen Garioch from Thompson Bros was bottled at 20 years old from two red wine barriques, with an outturn of 357 bottles and a natural strength of 52.1% ABV. The red wine casks give the whisky a darker, more fruit-driven profile, which works especially well with Glen Garioch’s naturally robust Highland character. Rather than simply adding sweetness, the barriques bring depth, structure and a drier edge that gives the whisky a more distinctive shape.
There is plenty of richness here, but it stays controlled and characterful rather than heavy. Blackcurrant, plum and cherry liqueur lead the profile, supported by pastry, marzipan and darker dried fruit, while the palate moves into a vivid mix of sweet fruit, spice, tobacco and bitter orange. The finish is long, dry and gently tannic, giving the whisky a firm, slightly more savoury shape to balance the richer fruit.