Good Spirits Co. Glen Garioch 11 year old
January 24, 2026
For this turn I’d like to share a little something with you from an independent bottling of a spirit that started its journey in Scotland’s Highland whisky region. The whisky itself was produced at the Glen Garioch Distillery, located in the town of Oldmeldrum, and the bottling and release of that spirit is from The Good Spirits Company located in Glasgow, Scotland.
As a reminder, the pronunciation of the distillery is “glen-GEE-ree.”
On a recent visit to Scotland I had the good fortune to visit The Good Spirits Company over on Bath Street in Glasgow, where I picked up this Glen Garioch release. Since reviewing the Glen Garioch 12 year old back in Whisky Zone Review number 46 I can say this spirit is one of my permashelf whiskies, so when I saw this one for sale on the Good Spirits shelf it called out to me. The Good Spirits Company is a retailer of whisky spirits as well as an independent bottler of the same, and they’ve been operating in this way since 2011. And I will say, they’ve got a very impressive lineup of not just independent bottlings. but some solid distillery releases, as well.
I also have to say I’m a big fan of the playful, colorful labels they use, as it makes it very easy to locate on my shelf! Really fun design work.
There were 214 bottles of this whisky generated from a single cask and, at the time of this review, there were still some available for purchasing.
This 11 year old spirit was matured in a refill barrel - that’s all they have to say on the specifics of that matter - and it entered the bottling process at a very nice 54 percent ABV. And regarding what you get in the bottle, the whisky comes to us non chill filtered and with no added color. That gets the Whisky Zone thumbs up from me, although I will mention that I had to hunt for that information on their website. You know, it might have been nice to see that printed on the cool label.
Visuals:
This naturally-colored whisky has a very light shade to it, a pale gold, maybe, or like a chenin blanc wine.
Nose:
I like the familiar sweetness notes I get initially that remind me of a vanilla milkshake. Then there are some pears. That’s followed up by the familiar yet only moderately friendly scent of Pine Sol. I also get something perfume-y from the fields, like a little heather. And then maybe some dried spices.
Palate:
Keeping with the spice sensations, I get a warm initial spice kick on the tongue. There’s certainly some sweetness, but also a slight bitterness. Maybe something akin to mace (the spice, not the spray). I enjoy the taste of buttery chocolate. I also get a noticeable taste of something earthy…I guess you could say I get dirt! This is followed by a very pleasant fruit taste, like maybe raspberry. And then some caramel.
Because this whisky sits at 54 percent ABV I wanted to see what a few drops of water might do.
Nose + Water:
This one of those interactions with added water that occasionally produces no noticeable change on the nose. I don’t get an enhancement on the nose, just a softening of what I picked up before. As much as I try to pick up something different, I just don’t.
Palate + Water:
A do get a little more spicy vanilla on the tongue. And it seems the water might actually make it overly spicy. I taste some muted licorice. And, ironically, brine.
Finish:
For the finish, I’m definitely left with some sweetness on the lips but the rest is kind of all over the map. I get orange blossoms, rubber tires, fish stew, and caramel toffee.
Rating:
Before I writing this review, I did a quick comparison between this independent bottling and Glen Garioch’s core range 12 year old. And while, I admit, it may not be a completely fair, apples-to-apples comparison, I have to say I was surprised. The vast majority of the time I tend to like independent bottlings more because of the freedom they have to paint outside the lines. But in this particular match up, I have to give a slight nod to the distillery core range offering. Both very good but the independent bottling felt like it could have picked up a little bit of something from spending another year in the barrel. Let me be clear, it is not bad, by any means, just not a wow for me. I’m giving the Good Spirits Company Glen Garioch 11 year old release a 7 finger pour.
Age Statement: 11 years
ABV: 54 %
Chill-filtered: no
E150a caramel coloring added: no
Average Price (700ml): £69 (UK)
https://thegoodspiritsco.com/product/the-good-spirits-co-glen-garioch-11-year-old-54/
