Glen Garioch 28 Year
42.1% ABV Highland Bourbon Barrel
$445.00 | Pre Order Available
Price on arrival $475.00 You save $30.00 (6%)
Estimated Import Arrival May 15, 2026

This is an estimated arrival timeline. Timing can shift due to carrier schedules, port congestion, customs, or warehouse receiving.

FTW TARTAN ARMY GLEN GARIOCH 28 YEAR OLD, 1998 VINTAGE

Tier 1 hero release. Matured for 28 years, like the waiting fans.

About Finn Thomson Whisky

The Official Whisky of the Tartan Army, selected by Finn Thomson, ninth generation of Scotland's oldest whisky family. A limited edition release marking Scotland's return to the World Cup after 28 years of waiting.

Every bottle sold donates to the Tartan Army Children's Charity (TACC). Three tiers across single malt and single grain, each carrying the Lion Rampant in official Tartan Army tartan, blind-embossed with gold foil on G.F Smith coltskin paper.

Region Highland Distillery Glen Garioch Age 28 years ABV 42.1% Cask Bourbon Barrel Outturn 134 bottles Collection Tartan Army Tier 1

The hero release of the Tartan Army collection. Tier 1. A 28 year old Glen Garioch single malt distilled in 1998, the last year Scotland appeared at a World Cup. Matured in a bourbon barrel for the full 28 year wait.

Distilled February 1998. Bottled March 2026. Cask strength at 42.1%, non-chill filtered, natural colour. 134 bottles. Imported exclusively by The Whiskey Lab.

This is whisky history in a bottle, showcasing a lost style from one of the finest distilleries in Scotland. Finn Thomson

Distillery profile, Glen Garioch

  • Founded in 1797 in the town of Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire. One of the oldest operating distilleries in Scotland.
  • Historically produced a peated style of spirit, though that practice was phased out in the early 1990s in favour of unpeated production.
  • Casks from the pre-1994 era that still contain the original peated style are exceptionally rare and collectable.
  • This 1998 vintage was filled just as Glen Garioch was transitioning away from peat, capturing a distinctive moment in the distillery's history.

The story of this cask

There is always something incredibly special about bottling a whisky from a bygone era. And this 28 year old Glen Garioch is exactly that. Distilled in 1998, this cask was filled at a time when Glen Garioch was still producing a peated style of spirit. The early 1990s saw the boom of single malt whiskies with blends slowly taking a back seat, and Glen Garioch evolved its production style to focus on making an unpeated whisky instead.

The old peated style was lost to time, and there are just a handful of casks from this era that still give drinkers an insight into this lost style of Glen Garioch. This cask is a reminder of how the Scotch whisky industry changes with time. While the names and stories may all stand the test of time, it is worth remembering the liquid produced is ever evolving with the times. No two casks are ever the same, which is the true beauty of rare single cask whisky.

At 28 years of age, there is just a gentle wisp of smoke. The long maturation has resulted in a whisky with an explosion of umami flavours, smoked nuts, cured meats, and brown butter, all hinting at the impressive age of this cask. There is an oily mouthfeel also that is only possible to find in such well aged whiskies.

Tasting notes
Nose
Deeply matured. A gentle wisp of old peat smoke, long integrated, more suggestion than statement. Beneath, waves of umami arrive, smoked almonds, cured meats, and brown butter. Honey, wildflower, and aged oak bring warmth. A truly antique nose.
Palate
Oily and complex. The long maturation brings heavy texture, coating the palate with honeyed oak, smoked walnut, and savoury umami depth. Old peat whispers in the background. Mid-palate develops tobacco leaf, brown butter, and a faint medicinal edge from the lost Glen Garioch peat style. 42.1% cask strength is low by modern standards but the age carries it.
Finish
Very long and meditative. Smoke, oak, and savoury richness linger in equal measure. A finish that rewards silence, the kind of dram that makes you set down the glass and think. Echoes of a distillery style that no longer exists.
Specification Details
Brand Finn Thomson Whisky
Collection Official Tartan Army Whisky (Tier 1, Hero Release)
Whisky style Single malt Scotch whisky
Region Highland
Distillery Glen Garioch
Age 28 years
Vintage 1998
ABV 42.1%
Volume 700 ml
Cask Bourbon Barrel
Distillation date 12 February 1998
Bottling date 24 March 2026
Cask number 652
Outturn 134 bottles
Cask strength Yes
Non-chill filtered Yes
Natural colour Yes
Charity Donates to Tartan Army Children's Charity