Glen Moray Classic Review

Glen Moray Classic is the entry-level malt from an Elgin distillery that has spent most of its life making whisky for other people, and it tastes like a quiet apprentice trying very hard. This Glen Moray Classic review is about a 40% Speyside malt that costs about £24, tastes of vanilla, green apple and light malt, and is a simple, clean, affordable bottle that does what it is told.

It is the kind of whisky I would hand to a person who has never tried a single malt, with a small warning that it is a beginning and not an end. I enjoy it for what it is, and I would not mind if it tried a little harder.

What is Glen Moray Classic?

Glen Moray sits in Elgin, on the edge of Speyside, on the banks of the River Lossie. It is owned by La Martiniquaise, a French spirits group, and it was founded in 1897 in a former brewery. The Glen Moray distillery is known for good-value whiskies and for experimenting with cask finishes. Why Speyside has so many distilleries explains the area’s distilleries.

The Classic is the entry-level bottle, matured in ex-bourbon barrels and bottled at 40% with no age statement. It is a simple, clean malt designed to be approachable and affordable. Single malt versus blended covers the difference between the two styles. Glen Moray has a long record as a supplier of good-value malt for blends and for independent bottlers, and the Classic is a rare chance to taste it under its own name.

Glen Moray Classic tasting notes

A vanilla wafer, a slice of green apple and a small spoon of malted milk.

The nose is light and fresh, with vanilla, green apple and a little honey, then a hint of malt and a faint grain note. It smells clean and young, with a pleasant sweetness.

On the palate it is smooth and light, with vanilla, apple and malt, then a trace of spice and a hint of oak. The body is thin, and the texture is soft. It is easy to drink and very simple, with no rough edges and not very much depth.

The finish is short, with vanilla, malt and a faint sweetness. It is clean and quiet, and it fades quickly.

A few drops of water bring out the apple and soften the malt, and a minute in the glass does the rest. It is not a whisky that changes much, and a light touch is all it needs. I would not add ice, because the cold flattens the delicate vanilla.

How to drink Glen Moray Classic

Neat, with a splash of water, or on the rocks. It is a good everyday malt and a very good one for a highball with soda and a slice of lemon. It also makes a perfectly decent Old Fashioned if you do not want to spend more.

It goes well with a light cheese, a biscuit and a plain Tuesday. It is a whisky for a person who wants a malt and does not want to spend a lot.

If you are building a bar on a small budget, it is a very sensible single malt to start with, because it works neat, on the rocks and in a highball. It will not impress an expert, and it will not offend one either, which is a more difficult trick than it sounds.

Is Glen Moray Classic worth the money?

At about £24 it scores 69. Speyburn 10 scores 68 at about £24, which is the same price and a point lower. Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve scores 72 at about £30. Glen Grant 12 scores 74 at about £35, and Monkey Shoulder scores 76 at about £28.

That makes the Glen Moray one of the cheapest single malts on the shelf and a fair buy. Monkey Shoulder is a better drink for £4 more, and it is a blended malt. If you want a cheap single malt, this is among the best.

The only reason to spend more is to get more flavour, and for that you will need to pay a few pounds extra. If you are happy with a light, clean malt for a low price, the Glen Moray is a perfectly good choice, and I would not tell you to feel otherwise.

The honest apprentice

The thing I like about Glen Moray is that it does not pretend. The distillery has a long history of making whisky for blends, and the Classic is a straightforward, honest bottle of what it makes. There is no fancy story, no clever finish and no inflated price.

It is also a reminder that an entry-level malt does not have to be a compromise. A good, simple whisky at £24 is a perfectly respectable thing, and I would rather drink this than an over-priced bottle with a story. It does not have much to say, but what it says is clean.

Budget malts to compare

Four more bottles, from the cheaper alternative to the better buys.

Verdict

Glen Moray Classic is clean, light, vanilla-sweet and very affordable, a simple malt with no pretence. It is a fair buy and a good first bottle, and Monkey Shoulder is the better drink.

Caskable score: 69 out of 100.