
November 7, 2019

Little Duos, today indie Glenlivet

We’ll soon do an extra-large Glenlivet session, but in the meantime and for some specific logistical reasons, we’ll have only two of them today. No, don’t ask…

Glenlivet 14 yo 2004/2019 (64%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, refill bourbon barrel, 162 bottles)

Isn’t it surprising to see so many more very-high-strength bottlings these days? Have they all started using clingfilm? Colour: straw. Nose: all on toasted bread, biscuits, vanilla cream, butterscotch, and fresh malted barley. Elementary, in a good way, but remember the strength is super-high. So… With water: impeccable moss and branches, shortbread, vanilla, autumn leaves, and a drop of cough medicine. Pristine and immaculate, almost too perfect in fact. Mouth (neat): huge yet fresh, on apple pie, fresh brioche, more butterscotch, and fudge and caramel. Rechar? With water: plus apple skins, butter pears, fresh walnuts and almonds, plums, and more toasted bread. That would be sweet bread. Notes of raisins too. Finish: rather long, cake-y, malty, with large amounts of butterscotch and drops of stout. Comments: I’m finding more and more butterscotch in modern whiskies. Either that’s me, or it’s a matter of ‘wood technology’. Extremely good nonetheless, perhaps too good.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Glenlivet 45 yo 1973/2018 (43.1%, Signatory Vintage, 30th Anniversary, sherry butt, cask #13/1, 394 bottles)

Glenlivet 45 yo 1973/2018 (43.1%, Signatory Vintage, 30th Anniversary, sherry butt, cask #12/1, 394 bottles)

My oh my, the 1973s are 45, already! Colour: very deep amber. Nose: halt, stop it! Ylang-ylang, mango jam, rose petals, orange blossom honey, rosewood, pollen, then pinewood, dried figs and dates, mead, apricot jam, sémillon, the tiniest touch of coconut water… Well, this is just unstoppable. Nothing to discuss or argue about here, let’s just move on… Mouth: you’re always afraid of some unwanted woodiness in these very old whiskies, and indeed they all are pretty woody – this one is – but it’s all a matter of what balances that woodiness, and in this case the answer is ‘a lot of things’. For example, this mango jam, or this heather honey, those juicy sultanas, this pipe tobacco, this cherry liqueur, the dates, the figs, the bits of dried apricot, these drops of mint essence, or myrtle liqueur, or pine liqueur… It appears that this is actually a finishing; well, in that case it’s one of the best finishings ever. Even if it’s no secret that many glorious old bottles had been re-racked, so nothing new under the sun. Finish: long, with an awesome fruity sourness. Sour cherry juice, perhaps? Also damsons, pipe tobacco, and sémillon wine yet again. Think Sauternes (and drink some, they really need our patronage these days!) Comments: it’s amazing what Signatory have released for their 30th Anniversary. May I suggest they celebrate their 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th etcetera in similar manners?
SGP:651 - 92 points.

Was that a good little session or was that a good little session?...

Check the index of all Glenlivet we've tasted so far