
August 19, 2021

The Ultimate Duos, today Glendullan

Tell me about the three main markers of Glendullan, you've got 30 seconds. Tick-tock-tick-tock… Exactly and that's why, I believe, many use re-racking, STR, wine finishing or other means of re-flavouring, except maybe Cadenhead who've often been content with going 'full-rocket-fuel mode'. Let's first have a young indie one that might be very wild, and then the new Prima & Ultima that should be 'something'. Which gentle trick did they find?...

Glendullan 10 yo 2010/2020 (55%, Liquid Treasures and eSpirits Whisky, sherry butt, 240 bottles)

Colour: light gold. Nose: modern, sweet, fruity and very bonbony. Banana cream, lemon drops, coriander, prickly pears, chenin blanc and a pack of Haribo's best. A family pack. With water: as usual, a little brioche, bread, dough, grist and vanilla. Very nice but just between us, the original distillate is not extremely important under these conditions. Mouth (neat): indeed, good, in the JS style, with some butterscotch, custard and cappuccino at first, then biscuits, cola water and pancake sauce. Pecan pie with some marmalade. With water: more jam, gingerbread, oak spices, a little white chocolate, raisins, pumpernickel… Finish: long and a little brighter. Rhubarb tarte with meringue and custard. Comments: very modern, very good indeed, but this won't help us find the markers of Glendullan.
SGP:551 - 85 points.

The Singleton of Glendullan 28 yo 1992/2021 (60.1%, OB, Prima & Ultima, refill + Madeira, 414 bottles)

More double-maturation than finishing because this baby first spent around 14 years in well-behaved refill wood, then 14 years in two 'small ex-Madeira barriques'. As I understand it, this is a little experimental but I suppose it's easier to experiment with Glendullan than with Brora. You say what about Lagavulin + Guinness? No, that can't be real. By the way, lovely blue/green tinted glass ala Johnnie Walker Blue here. Colour: full gold. Nose: very few whisky people, if any, will tell about the kind of Madeira that's been in use, while the differences between various types can be as wide as between, say PX and manzanilla. But this is nice, with smells from the woods (moss, fern) and indeed some soft mustard, dried oranges wit cloves, and whiffs of new thuja wood in a souk. Once you accept, intellectually and philosophically, that you may flavour single malt, you'll find this rather lovely. With water: pencil shavings, thuja wood, brand new humidor and walnut wine. Mouth (neat): a little strong and very spicy. A lot of ginger, more mustard, horseradish, cinnamon mints and bitter oranges, with a sourness (green walnuts). With water: Fernet-Branca, ginger wine, pepper liqueur, and really a lot of straight peppers of all kinds known to Man. Finish: long and rather a little more 'malt whisky', with even a little brown bread and some peppery molasses. Comments: my lizard brain seems to enjoy this concoction rather a lot, but I'm very suspicious of my lizard brain, as anyone should be. No? Conservation no-fuss score here, I have to confess I'm a bit lost. The one I'll always remember is the 38-1974/2014 (WF 91).
SGP:561 - 85 points.

As far as Glendullan's markers go, well look where that's got us, amigo! No-where. We'll try again in the coming… years…

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