Style: Sweet and Spicy
Nose:
Begins with a powerful whiff of spirit spice, which is quite surprising as it is a mere 52.6%. When I get used to the hotness we have sweet grapefruit candies, vanilla custard and apple pies. In comes another wave of fresh orchard fruits, within hides an unusually (but in a good way) fragrant, herbal overtone. Pineapple notes towards the back, which is buried by massive amount of black pepper.
Palate:
A hot fruity, but peppery bite on the palate. Orchard apples ensnared by the herbal, spirit-y core. The tight grip loosens a bit after a while then we have apricots, more tropical fruits deeply coated with molten chocolate. Sweetness gradually accentuates and reveals a deeper layer of stone fruits. Still hot and spicy all the way towards the end.
Finish:
Green apples milkshake, stone fruits reflux, finish with a dry herbal tone.
Thoughts:
I bought this bottle after reading a glowing review on it, and I was so confident that this is going to be hit after my success on another bottle of Glentauchers with a similar spec. Alas, I was quite wrong. To be honest, I am quite disappointed with how this has worked out. It is not THAT bad, but I feel it is way too hot especially for its abv, the spirit/ herbal spices have heavily restrained this expression. That said, it is still a Glentauchers which offers plenty of chewy sweetness. If you don’t mind hot drams, this might work for you. For me, this barely gets a tick.
✓ [Recommended if you like the style/ distillery]
[52.6% / Independent Bottling / Cask Strength / 1990 Distilled / 2017 Bottled / Vatting of 3 Bourbon Barrels / t-]
-Esmond
WhiskNick 