Style: Rich and Fruity
Nose:
Starts with a faint whiff of gunpowder, leading to poached pears and black currants. Ginger spice shoots through all layers, berries compote lightly dipped in honey vanilla milk, whereas soft oatmeal trail tracing at the back. A nice fragrant fruity core, unfortunately maybe it is slightly tainted by sulphur.
Palate:
Dazzling array of red fruits delivered at perfect weight. Forest berries, sugar plums and poached pears lifted up by fresh ginger and grassy notes. Sulphur notes diminished and lurking in the background. Just as some raisin chocolate is building up, the sweetness hits the brake at the back while barley and oak giving a stringent finish.
Finish:
Grapes and plums lightly powdered with milk chocolate. Tannic oak lingers till the end.
Thoughts:
A fragrant Glenlivet presented in such a comfortable manner. The expression is nicely tidied up to highlight the charming synergy between sherry-fruits and ginger spice at the core. Perhaps it is designed to be easy-drinking while showing a decent level of maturation. Although there are a couple of minor blips, it is still a rather decent dram, close to 1 star.
✓ [Recommended if you like the style/ distillery]
[43% • Original Bottling • Batch 0414N • General Release • 2014 Bottled • t+]
-Esmond
WhiskNick 