Glenlivet – with reduction

Glenlivet 8 yo (80 proof, Gordon & MacPhail, early Nineteen Seventies)
We tried one other 8yo in the identical livery from comparable period virtually precisely a 12 months in the past on these very pages, and certainly it was beautiful (WF:91). Nevertheless, that one was 70 proof and darkish sherry, whereas we’re now at 80 proof and pale / refill – which in all trustworthy I truly discover extra intriguing… Color: straw. Nostril: a wee metallic flush of OBE at first, but in addition many vivid notes of citrus rinds, lemon-scented waxes, chalk, mineral oils, flints – I can’t assist however consider some outdated model, very mineral-driven Clynelish. Actually wonderful. Mouth: huge arrival! The ABV is doing sterling work already. A number of metallic polish, soots, waxes, gentle embrocations, mineral oils as soon as once more and this sense of sheep wools, animal fat and herby bouillon inventory. Nonetheless a persistent tang of OBE, however I would not say it is extreme. End: good size, properly drying, many notes of sandalwood, linens, mild medicines, waxes, cereals and a few mild mechanical oils. Feedback: outdated model, characterful distillate that it’s not possible for me to not take pleasure in. Solely this flippantly modulating OBE facet will stop it hitting 90. However there’s luggage of delight abound right here.
SGP: 462 – 89 factors.

Glenlivet 13 yo 2007/2020 (65.3%, Signatory Classic for The Whisky Alternate, cask #900243, 1st fill sherry butt, 625 bottles)
65.3%? Permit me to simply put together my Kevlar tasting pants! Color: amber. Nostril: what’s cool about these batches is that they continue to be eminently nose-able even at full energy, which I believe is likely one of the indicators of an excellent whisky. Simple, leafy and properly chocolate-driven sherry. With some whiffs of recent espresso, Nutella, cellar earth and strawberry jam. With water: cherries, malt loaf, chocolate stout beer, brown bread studded with pumpkin seeds and so on. Definitely drifts extra in direction of this nutty, earthy and bready model. Mouth: okay, right here it is a tad extra ‘ouchey’, however there’s nonetheless a whole lot of fudge, millionaire shortbread and this time raspberry jam. However fast with the water please… with water: huge, spicy and fudgy, a number of pink peppercorns, jams, bitter chocolate and wooden spice. You are feeling the modernity of the sherry cask model now. End: lengthy, properly bitter, quite gingery, very warming, some new wooden and extra peppercorn notes. Feedback: I believe it is a bit too beastly for my tastes, though if you’re after uncooked, unvarnished sherry energy then you can do loads worse. A’bunadh on methamphetamine.
SGP: 561 – 86 factors.

Glenlivet 30 yo 1990/2020 (54.4%, Gordon & MacPhail ‘Connoisseur’s Alternative’, cask #17167, refill hogshead, 197 bottles)
Color: deep orangey gold. Nostril: wow, a fantastically concentrated model that’s a lot nearer to the varied legendary 1972s. Can you utilize ‘notes of 1972 Glen Grant’ in a 1990 Glenlivet tasting notice? Significantly, luggage of honey, mature dessert wines, nectars, pollens, yellow plums, fruit salad juices and wee touches of melon and pineapple. Pure class! With water: some leafy tobacco, extra pollen, dried flowers, turmeric, hessian material and different lighter material notes. Mouth: holds up extraordinarily nicely. A agency arrival with a number of gentle wooden spices, quince jelly, cloves, nutmeg, lanolin, preserved citrus peels and a few kumquat and wee waxy touches. I believe, given blind, I would say it was from a a lot earlier period of manufacturing. With water: evolves a whole lot of these gentle wooden spice and sandalwood tones. Dried out flowers, citrus rinds, spiced marmalade and flower honey on brown toast. Elegant and but nonetheless with good energy. End: lengthy, gently warming, spicy and peppery. Lingering impressions of honeycomb waxes, dried flowers, tobacco, moss and lemon rinds. Feedback: extraordinarily good, extraordinarily elegant trendy outdated Glenlivet. Have not we already tried a couple of actually nice Glenlivet casks from these early 90s vintages? Thoughts you, most are ‘unnamed Speysiders’, or, as you may also name them ‘distillery personal targets’. Anyway, on the flip aspect, I do suppose these older G&M releases are a bit pricy now.
SGP: 651 – 90 factors.

Glenlivet 34 yo 1966/2001 (64.9%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society #2.36, ‘Caramel bon-bons and fromage frais’)
From a cask that seems to have been warehoused in Devil’s jockstrap. Color: deep gold. Nostril: we actually aren’t so far-off from the 1990, there’s a whole lot of resinous honeys, fir wooden, dried flowers, unique hardwoods, delicate waxes and in addition some huge notes of lengthy matured rums. This sense of convergence we frequently discuss when wood-aged spirits attain this sort of age. I am additionally discovering leafy tobaccos, lemon marmalade and a few outdated yellow Chartreuse. Actually fairly a fancy nostril, I do not get the alcohol a lot in any respect. With water: many shades of bread, satsuma peel, mango, kumquat, sandalwood and this splendidly aromatic herbaceous high quality and a quite resinous fruitiness. Mouth: okay, that is your wakeup name! An enormous arrival, filled with shoe polish, unique hardwood resins, rums, tropical fruit jams, pollens, honeys, pressed flowers and varied long-brewed natural and unique teas. Highly effective, but fairly good. With water: pollens, flowers, waxes, verbena, wormwood and these extraordinarily classical vibes of camphor, hessian and vapour rubs. Massively detailed and complex whisky. End: lengthy, completely balanced between agency, peppery and warming qualities together with softer waxes, pollens, natural teas and crystallised fruits. Feedback: good however quite dominating whisky, the sort of bottle you can also make final at the very least a decade and watch the way it evolves with time and air.
SGP: 572 – 91 factors.