The Singleton of Glen Ord 17 Year Old is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the Highlands, bottled as part of the Diageo Special Releases 2025 collection under the name "Into the Blue". The whisky comes from the Glen Ord distillery, located in the village of Muir of Ord north of Inverness, in the Black Isle area historically associated with barley cultivation.
The 2025 release was created by combining two parcels of spirit, marking the first such approach in the distillery's portfolio. One part matured in refill casks and was finished for five years in second-fill Spanish sherry butts, while the other rested in refill casks and subsequently spent three years in Mexican ex-mezcal casks. The whisky was bottled at its natural cask strength of 55.5%, without colouring and without chill filtration.
The aromatic profile opens rather roundly, with honeyed pears, golden raisins and baked apple, gradually shifting towards a drier character, with a herbaceous note and aromatic spice. In the background appear chilli, dried rosemary as well as roasted accents and soaked grain. On the palate the start is sweet, with honey, apples, peach and sultanas, after which the whisky becomes bittersweet, with a distinctly earthy side and discernible salinity. Green pepper then develops, along with notes of roasted agave and ginger and dry accents of tapenade and white pepper.
What is characteristic is that the mezcal influence clearly stands out and is capable of taking the lead over the usually fruity Glen Ord spirit. The finish is medium to long, still earthy and dry, with pepperiness, leather and mezcal smoke layered over orchard fruit. This is a hybrid whisky, hard to classify unequivocally, with a large dose of character derived from an unconventional selection of casks.