Which one would tickle your tastebuds?
It was a Glen Grant and Wild Turkey comparison ‘taste-in’ for Wednesday nights Tweet Tasting, hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire.
The malts sampled were:-
- Glen Grant 10 Years Old
- Wild Turkey 101
- Glen Grant 12 Years Old
- Wild Turkey Rye
There was a marked difference in the tastes and styles of the two brands and differences of opinion abounded on the night on Twitter. The great thing though about a wide selection of flavours is that there was something to please most palates on the night!
If you want to catch up on what all the tasters had to say you can view the tweets by searching for the hash tag #UKvUSA on Twitter.
So, what did I think?
Here are my tasting notes … and the one which was my favourite on the night!
Tasting Notes – Glen Grant 10 Years Old (40%)
Glen Grant was founded in 1840 by brothers John & James Grant. Today, Glen Grant is the world’s number 5 selling single malt Scotch whisky. Production at the Rothes based distillery is overseen by Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm, who has worked for Glen Grant for over five decades. The 10 Years Old is Matured in bourbon barrels.
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Nose: Very fruity and fresh! Pears and apples with a slight hint of honey and vanilla custard and also a bit pear droppy. Palate: A bit ‘thin’ mouthfeel wise. Sweet and sugary, honey vanilla with hint of apples. Finish: Long fiesty and peppery! |
Tasting Notes – Wild Turkey 101 (50.5%)
Wild Turkey features the legendary father & son Master Distilling team of Jimmy & Eddie Russell, who have 90 years of combined experience making bourbon. This bourbon has a mashbill of 75% Corn, 13% Rye & 12% Malted Barley.
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Nose: Lovely colour and so sweet! Toffee and oranges and tropicalness. Apple pie with lots of sugar and slightly caramalised – I’m in love! Slight oak, maybe just a splinter or two! Palate: Just lovely! Syrupy sweet, tropical fruity – doesn’t disappoint and a great taste of cherries! Finish: So smooth in the finish – sweet and long with a modicum of pepper – I’m impressed! |
Tasting Notes – Glen Grant 12 Years Old (43%)
The 12 Years Old is Matured in bourbon barrels.
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Nose: Nice woodiness coming straight through with a cheeky bit of honey with toffee and crisp apple – a bit less ‘pushy’ than the 10. Palate: Toffee, vanilla and apple – nicely balanced and tasty! Finish: Subtle, warming pepper – more refined and mature than the 10. |
Tasting Notes – Wild Turkey Rye (40.5%)
Matured in ‘Alligator Charred’ American oak barrels. An Alligator aka No 4 Char, gives the interior of the barrel a rough texture similar to that of alligator skin.
This level of char imparts bigger & bolder vanilla and spice flavours. This Rye has a mashbill of 65% Rye, 23% Corn & 12% Malted Barley.
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Nose: Very close to the 101 but maybe more ‘earthy’. Toffee, fudge, orange oak and a promise of great things to come … Palate: ‘Meatier’ compared to the 101 but just as tasty! Sweet, tropical fruit but a little drier and more cherry cola! Licorice and caramel with charred wood thrown in. Finish: Smooth, sweet finish with fruit and a little spice to wend it on it’s way – delightful! |
My Favourite On The Night
Out of the 4, I think it’s got to be the Wild Turkey 101 – an absolute revelation! Bold, fruity, smooth – Get In!
Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great dram evening and the teams at Glen Grant (@GlenGrantUK) and Wild Turkey (@WildTurkeyUK), for the samples and without whom!
My fellow Tweeters were:-
@GreatDrams @BritishBourbon @london_liquor @spikeydog120 @WhiskyDiscovery @dvdbloke @iheartwhisky @MichaelMcKillop @RealDramRob @DistilleryBikes @GeorgeHHutton @allthingsbooze @bigfootrunning @JasonVaswani @MorayTours @The_Bourbonator @cache1337 @whiskyfreak123 @MaltMusings @bourgeoisbooze @mnshanbhag @PhilScott101 @Whisky_lit @WildTurkeyUK Tweet Tasters: 6/6 @Jamie_Rowley @whiskywings @brawspirit @SpiritAndWood
Glen Grant is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-
Wild Turkey is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-
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