Michael Hepworth
Los Angeles, CA(Spiritsman)10/22/12/–The buzz about single malt whiskey continues unabated, and the latest to make a splash in Los Angeles is Glen Garioch. They held a private tasting at the very hip Osteria restaurant in Los Angeles where the food pairings were carefully selected by management.
First of all Glen Garioch comes from Scotland’s most eastern distillery located in the village of Oldmeldrum, about 17 miles from Aberdeen in the Highlands. It was founded in 1797 by John and Alexander Manson, and this one of the rare distilleries that bottles its core range close to cask strength of 63 %. In reality the distillery was actually in business since 1760, although the 37 years between the official opening can be classified as “the moonshine years.”
Known as the Morrison Bowmore distillery since 1994, the good news is that their product is well sought after by collectors and whisky aficionados, primarily because they are unable to increase production purely because of their location in the village.
They still use only three stills using water from a nearby spring on Percock Hill. They were also the first distillery in Scotland to use the method known as “gas firing” in 1982 that is now widely used.
I got to try four of the single malts starting with the fiery 12 year old that was paired with an appetizer of Burricotta with Radicchio w/spiced walnuts, honey and fried rosemary.
A main course of Pork Loin was paired with the Glen Garioch 1994 vintage, containing 53.9% alcohol and offering a rich heather and honey taste sensation.
Star of the show however had to be the 1986 vintage (54.6%) that was paired with a delectable Butterscotch Budino and rosemary nut pine cookies. This is a whisky with a heavy floral sensation and thanks to the oxidization a fruity sensation, and a perfect pairing with desserts.
Prices-12 year old $ 51.99
21 year old 128.00
25 year old 151.00
VIP Distillery tours Tel: 01651-873450
Michael Hepworth
287 S.Robertson Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
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