Glen Garioch is one of Scotland’s oldest operating distilleries, founded in 1797 in the Aberdeenshire town of Oldmeldrum. With roots stretching back more than two centuries, it represents a classic Highland malt tradition shaped by changing ownership, shifting styles, and long periods of quiet consistency. For much of its history, Glen Garioch’s spirit was valued primarily for blending, contributing weight and character to well known brands, before gaining wider recognition as a single malt in its own right. The distillery experienced periods of closure and revival over the years, most notably in the late 20th century, before finding renewed stability under Morrison Bowmore and later Suntory ownership. Today Glen Garioch is known for producing a robust, traditionally styled Highland malt that reflects its agricultural surroundings and historic methods. Older and single cask releases remain especially prized, offering a glimpse into one of the Highlands’ most enduring and historically significant distilleries. It remains, sadly, wildly underappreciate in the broader market due to a general lack of effort promoting this important brand. It's extremely rare to find old Glen Garioch and almost unheard of to see a barrel distilled before the Suntory take over in 1994. This unbelievable old hogshead was distilled in April of 1988 and bottled nearly 40 years later in September of 2024 at a natural cask strength of 46.9% without chill-filtration or additions whatsoever.