single malt scotch whisky

The Glenlivet Nadurra Peated Cask Finish Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

Photo courtesy of The Glenlivet.

Photo courtesy of The Glenlivet.

The latest entry to The Glenlivet’s Nadurra line is this Peated Whisky Cask Finish Single Malt.  If you’re unfamiliar with their Nadurra (Gaelic for “natural”) whiskies, let’s catch you up.  These are small batch, non-chill filtered, cask strength expressions from the distillery.  The current bunch have no age statement, but that doesn’t really matter so long as the whisky inside the bottle is good. Joining this Peated Cask Finish expression are an Oloroso-Cask matured whisky (I’ll review this one soon) and a First Fill Selection using first fill ex-bourbon casks for maturation.

Glenlivet’s Peated Whisky Cask Finish is exactly what it sounds like.  After maturation, the whisky was finished in casks that previously held peated whisky.  My sample bottle is from batch PW0715 and is bottled at 61.5% abv.  The suggested retail for a 750mL is $84.99.

The peated cask is evident from the start, but not overpowering.  I get an aromatic blend of fresh, ripe fruit (a Glenlivet signature), sweet toffee, vanilla extract and a dab of peat.  That dab of peat goes a long way.  It’s a balanced nose.  On entry, a welcoming sweet smoke coats the tongue.  Unusual for The Glenlivet, but a throwback to how whiskies were release many, many years ago, including whiskies from this distillery.  The high proof provides a surprisingly easy-drinking experience.  Candied fruit, creamy toffee, orange marmalade and a touch of spice lead to a long, sweet, and slightly smoky finish.  A little water tames the smoke and allows the sweeter notes to shine.

A peated Glenlivet expression?  It’s about what I thought it would be.  A tasty, interesting offering from the classic whisky distillery.  The added touch of peat smoke makes this whisky that much more complex.  Yet it still carries the Glenlivet DNA.  Very well done and highly recommended.

8/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by The Glenlivet.)

The Macallan 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Review

Macallan 12

The Macallan has built a reputation synonymous with luxury and quality.  Older expressions are some the most valued whiskies among collectors.  It’s a Highland distillery that is generally known as a sherry bomb.  That’s because, with the exception of their Fine Oak line, all their whisky is aged in sherry casks.  Macallan claims it imports most of the sherry casks coming out of Spain.  It’s clear they take their wood selection seriously.

Macallan’s Sherry Oak line ranges from the base 12-year-old expression all the way to a pricy 30-year-old single malt.  Again, all the whiskies here are aged exclusively in ex-sherry casks.  It’s a style of whisky I tend to enjoy.

On the nose, the sherry cask influence can’t be clearer.  There’s an initial blast of dried fruit and a sweet sherry note, followed by some malted grain and a little toffee.  Entry on the palate is all toffee and soft vanilla, over a bed of sherried fruit and spice.  There’s a welcome touch of smoke.  It’s not a peaty smoke, more a wood smoke.  Just a touch.  Mulled wine ends the experience in a rich, slightly dry finish.

If you’ve never had the pleasure of tasting a classic sherried whisky, I would suggest you start with this Macallan 12-year-old or Glenfarclas 12-year-old.  Macallan is generally more readily available.  What we have here is a rich, fruit-sweet and slightly spicy Highland single malt.  It’s priced a little higher than a standard 12-year-old Scotch at about $60.  I’d love to see it slightly cheaper, but I do enjoy what’s in the bottle.

8/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by Edrington Americas.)

 

Talisker 10-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

Talisker 10

Talisker is a distillery on the Isle of Skye in Scotland that’s been around since the early to mid 1800s.  In fact, it’s the only distillery on the rocky island.  It’s known to produce a single malt that captures the spirit of its unique location.  People swear they taste the ocean in Talisker’s whiskies.  Owned by Diageo, Talisker has several single malt expressions on the market.  We’re looking at their base expression – Talisker 10-year-old.  Bottled at 48.5% abv, Talisker 10 retails for about $50-$60.

The nose starts out sweet with honey and salted toffee over spiced pear, citrus and smoke.  The palate is full of rich toffee, fruit (think pear), some saltiness (I guess this is the ocean people taste) and a flinty-mineral note.  Underneath are layers of peat, heather and a touch of smoke.  The finish here is long and warm.  Sweet and slightly spicy notes (black pepper) linger.

Talisker 10-Year-Old is a rich, sweet, spicy and smoky whisky I instantly fell in love with.  There’s great complexity here, not only for a 10-year-old whisky, but for a whisky in general.  I can’t wait to try other Talisker expressions like the 18-year-old.  This one’s highly recommended.

8.5/10