Glen Grant 16 Year Old

Spirit Name: Spirit Type:	Glen Grant 16 Year Old  Single malt whisky
Score:	92/100
ABV:	43%
Region:	Speyside, Scotland
Body:	Medium-full
Intensity:	Medium
Texture:	Silky
Balance:	Excellent
Best served: Cask:	Neat Bourbon cask
Theme(s):	Wood, tart fruit, barley, cocoa, butter, nut oils, mild spice, vanilla (natural), light honey, citrus
Thoughts:	Glen Grant is a distillery located in the Speyside region of Scotland and since it was founded in 1840 the distillery has aimed to produce a whisky that is light, smooth and fruity. 174 years later, in 2014, not much has changed at Glen Grant except its size. Glen Grant is now the fifth most popular single malt whisky in the world and the number 1 single malt in Italy. No wonder. The timeless Glen Grant style is so perfectly suited to appreciating la bella vita that I want to kiss the bottle on both cheeks. Despite being the fifth most popular malt whisky in the world, Glen Grant only offers a few core expressions – the Major’s Reserve, the 10 year old and the 16 year old. Malt Mileage recently had the opportunity to taste and review the Glen Grant 16 year old, and we found that (unsurprisingly) it offered a slightly fuller mouth-feel and heavier wood notes (with a resulting medium-full body) than the more fruity and lighter 10 year old.  The Glen Grant 16 year old is aged for 16 years in ex-bourbon casks. It offers a complex array of tart stone fruit, barley, American Oak and the most delightful citrus peel notes that gradually brighten in the glass as the whisky rests. Despite what the label says, the fruit is more crisp and tart than ripe while the whisky itself is medium-dry on the palate. The most impressive aspect of this whisky in my opinion is not only the wood, but the way the wood accentuates and lifts the oily barley and tart fruit notes in the distillate. Glen Grant prides itself on the use of tall slender stills and purifiers, and it is great to see that these purifiers (which basically provide reflux of heavier vapours so that lighter vapours can pass through to be collected) allow the spirit to retain its natural oils and flavours. This means that the whisky does not hide behind the wood or bourbon influence. This is whisky as it should be - full of luscious barley accentuated by layered and complex wood notes.   For more information on distilling and how whisky is made, please see: Malt Mileage Guide to Spirit Making.
Tasting notes:	Nose: Barley and creamy oats first hit the nose with peaches, yellow plum and a dark chocolate brownie, vanilla fudge cake and spicy (and slightly burnt) ginger bread with caramelized sugars, butter and crushed nuts. As the whisky rests, the creamy vanilla develops with mild honey, almonds and fresh citrus (especially lemon and orange) and those citrus notes gradually brighten into lemon drops and the fresh spritz of peel alongside mild bourbon, crushed bittersweet petals, chocolate coated raisins, mild licorice and coconut coated rum balls. Then the whisky takes on a more consistent aroma - orange peel, dark chocolate, crushed Brazil nuts and anise seed with mild hints of vanilla.  That barley is spectacular. Only beer makers or whisky distillers will appreciate this, and luckily I learned the craft from relatives while in Europe. The barley is oily and rich and it is in fact accentuated by the heavy wood notes. I can smell the cracked barley as it is removed from the boiler.  Taste: The entry is silky smooth as the fruit suddenly emerges, crisp, tart and fresh. Yellow plum and orange peel in dark chocolate come to the fore with soft vanilla biscuits and a mild drizzle of honey. Then, at mid-palate, the magic happens. The palate begins to dry as the wood notes become increasingly dominant and interrupt the brief but tranquil start with richer cocoa, mild tanins and natural bitter vanillins. Nestled beneath the wood rests the slowly fading barley - oily, rich and wholesome with hints of crisp green fruit from the spirit. This is by no means a sweet whisky and it has no ripe fruit flavours; they are more crisp and tart with oily barley notes that shine until the gradually dominating wood overtakes it and makes a spectacle of its own on the finish.  Finish: The finish is bitter and slightly spicy, with drying bitter cocoa and cascading wood notes that are softened by a medium-dry plummy note.
Likes:	Crisp, light yet full favoured and not dominated by bourbon
Warning:	This whisky was medium-dry on the palate.
Price:	$80

Glenlivet 21 Year Old

Spirit Name: Spirit Type:	Glenlivet 21 Year Old Single malt whisky
Score:	98/100
ABV:	43%
Region:	Speyside, Scotland
Body:	Full
Intensity:	Near perfect
Texture:	Syrupy
Balance:	Near perfect
Best served:	Neat
Theme(s):	(N) Candied ginger, barley sugar, sesame crisps, mild menthol, hazelnut, almond, dried flowers, creamy barley, pineapple, peppery papaya, mild chocolate and cocoa, orange and mandarin peel, cinnamon, coconut and vanilla macaroon, polished mahogany, dried dark fruit (prune, sultana and fig) and lime (P) Creamy vanilla, oats, Christmas cake, raisins, glazed cherries, dark chocolate, licorice, sherry, menthol, nuts, cinnamon, Arabic coffee.(F) Dried fruit, sandalwood, bitter dark chocolate, ginger bread, nuts, lingering oak.
Thoughts:	The Glenlivet distillery proudly proclaims that it is the "single malt that started it all". Distilling alcohol was not always legal in the United Kingdom, but this all changed with the enactment of the Excise Act 1823. George Smith, who was operating an illegal distillery alongside many others in the parish of Glenlivet, was the first person in the parish to secure a license to distill and so The Glenlivet was founded in 1824. The new distillery could not keep up with demand, and by the time George Smith's son John inherited the distillery (lucky chap!) its whisky had become so synonymous with quality that other distilleries named their products "Glenlivet". John took legal action against the distillers, and the court held that he and his master blender were the only people allowed to use the name "Glenlivet" but other distilleries could hyphenate the name alongside another name (for example, "The Glen Moray-Glenlivet Distillery"). John therefore decided to name his whisky The Glenlivet, to signify that it is the whisky that, well, started it all!  Today, my nose and taste buds are convinced that The Glenlivet continues to produce whisky of excellent quality. The main expressions offered by the distillery include the 12, 15, 16 (Nadurra), 18, 21 and 25 year old.  This review is about the Glenlivet 21 year old, which is produced in 'bespoke batches' and apparently each cask is nosed and approved by the extraordinarily gifted tasters (known in the industry as "noses") at the distillery. I know they're extraordinarily gifted, because The Glenlivet is consistently terrific and true to the timeless sweet style that epitomizes the distillery - there is very little semblance of fault in every Glenlivet expression I have tasted and I have tasted them all many times.  The Glenlivet 21 year old offers fresh vibrant dried fruit sweetness with heavy oak driven undertones that find balance between the spirit, wood and sherry. This whisky really stands out from the rest, and I struggle to see how a whisky can get any better. Despite spending at least 21 years in oak, the creamy barley still shines with oak driven flavours of labyrinthine complexity that interlock harmoniously in a way that conjures wonder at how a whisky can project its character with vibrancy, richness and power and yet be so silky smooth and elegantly subtle. In other words, this is fine whisky that ticks all the boxes and it reaffirms my belief that The Glenlivet is still "the benchmark of quality in Speyside". Absolutely brilliant work by the team at Glenlivet!
Tasting notes:	Nose: Almost immediately the intricate details of the bouquet express themselves in labyrinthine complexity - candied ginger and barley sugar balance against the bitter-sweet snap of honeyed sesame crisps as mild menthol, hazelnut, almond and dried flowers underpin creamy barley, pineapple, peppery papaya, mild chocolate and cocoa, orange and mandarin peel, hints of cinnamon, coconut and vanilla macaroon, polished mahogany, dried dark fruit (prune, sultana and fig) and the fresh spritz of lime.  Taste: Beyond silky, the flavours integrate in impeccable fashion offering subtlety and softness while following a smooth but sinuous pattern. Mild notes of creamy vanilla and oats underpin rich Christmas cake with raisins, glazed cherries, dark chocolate and licorice as mild undercurrents of menthol gradually intensify at mid-palate together with dark chocolate, crushed hazelnuts, sherry, cinnamon and resinous spiced Arabic coffee. Finish: A lingering sweet haze of dried fruit and floral infused wood notes is balanced by the lingering bitter dark chocolate as ginger bread provides a sweet spicy spark within the nutty and oak rich finish.
Likes:	Rich, complex, smooth yet assertive, balanced and seriously delicious
Price:	£100 (UK), $240 (Aus)

Glenrothes Select Reserve

Spirit Name: Spirit Type:	Glenrothes Select Reserve Single malt
Score:	79/100
ABV:	43%
Region:	Speyside, Scotland
Body:	Medium
Intensity:	Medium
Texture:	Average
Balance:	Good
Best served:	Neat
Thoughts:	Overall, the Select Reserve is an entry level Glenrothes that is certainly drinkable … but for the serious whisky drinkers, it does not compare to the masterful older Glenrothes expressions that are among the very best whiskies. In my opinion, a little bit extra money can get you a stellar whisky from Glenrothes so buy a notch or two up the ladder.
Tasting notes:	Nose: Sweet, almost syrupy, with sparks of cocoa and mild whiffs of rubbing alcohol cutting through sweet fruit that rests over honey glazed oats. There is a bitter nuttiness about this whisky, almost like peanut husks, and that develops into more luscious and buttery nuttiness with nuances of vanilla and white pepper, star anise and soy sauce – being very fond of the Vietnamese soup Pho, I am intimately familiar with star anise and soy sauce! I had to double take with the soy sauce, but it is there shaken and brewed. Taste: Very sweet initially, with a sudden bitter twang that gradually reduces into mild alcoholic fumes that lift off the palate. The sweetness is syrupy and full of sugar, and the bitterness is astringent – not quite my thing from a distillery that has delighted with its other expressions (especially the 1988, a real gem!). The interesting nose is not reproduced on the palate, which in my opinion is disappointing.   Finish: Bitter wood notes develop into a medium-dry finish, with dark chocolate and sugary caramel resting on the palate with candied apricots and mild sparks of spice.
Price:	$69.99 (Aus)

Cardhu 12 Year Old

Spirit Name: Spirit Type:	Cardhu 12 Year Old Single malt whisky
Score:	79/100
ABV:	40%
Region:	Speyside, Scotland
Body:	Medium
Intensity:	Medium
Texture:	Average
Balance:	OK
Best served:	Neat
Theme(s):	Damp mushroom boxes, nail polish, honeyed oats, cinnamon, apple, vanilla, dried fruit
Thoughts:	To be absolutely honest, I did not enjoy this whisky very much. Its nose was tainted with an off note I often associate with damp cardboard and mushroom boxes, and its taste seemed unbalanced with a dominant alcohol bitterness.
Tasting notes:	Nose: The smell of damp old mushroom boxes emerges, interrupted by the sharp sting of nail polish remover which cuts through honeyed oats, cinnamon spiced apple, vanilla, dried paw paw and sweet white chocolate coated sultana. Taste: A wave of syrupy sweetness hits the palate, and as the onslaught of sugars begins to recede harsh lashes of ethanol burn the tongue. What begins as apple, cinnamon and raisin in golden syrup soon becomes bitter, in an alcohol kind of way.  Finish: Descent, but flickers and dies quickly.
Price:	£30 (UK), $80 (Aus)

Glen Grant Major's Reserve

 

Spirit Name: Spirit Type:	Glen Grant "Major's Reserve" Single malt
Score:	74/100
ABV:	40%
Region:	Speyside, Scotland
Body:	Medium
Intensity:	Medium
Texture:	Smooth
Balance:	Good
Best served:	Mixed
Theme(s):	Bitter, spicy, peppery, immature, mushroom, wet cardboard, bark, nutmeg, cocoa, dried apricot, burnt toffee
Summary:	Tainted with immaturity, this whisky struck me as something that would be a decent mixer or perfect from grandma's top secret biscuit (biscotti in my case) recipe - not a sipping whisky in my view.
Blind tasting notes:	Nose: Zesty lemon meringue with shavings of citrus peel and cereal notes hit the nose with peppery papaya. A mild gust of immature spirit taints the nose a little. Wet cardboard and mushrooms develop as the whisky rests. Now that’s an old memory – packing boxes of mushrooms in the supermarket fridges while I was an undergraduate! There’s something fungal about this whisky, immature but not necessarily youthful because it is a tad lethargic. Taste: Immediately bitter and spicy, that peppery fungal note on the nose excites the taste buds but then fizzles off leaving wet bark, nutmeg, cocoa and dense burnt toffee. There is not much else that resembles anything in nature, except the bitter bite of alcohol. This is young whisky in my opinion, cheap whisky. Finish: Burnt sugars linger as intensifying spiciness sweeps away whatever fruit softness began to develop on the palate – just as that fruit (dried apricot etc) develops, it is swept away by the spiciness which leaves a dry wood finish. Would I want another dram of this? No.
Likes:	Price
Dislikes:	The general character struck me as immature and, well, "cheapish"
Price:	$40 (Aus)

Glenrothes 1969 Vintage 40 Year Old (D&T, Lonach)

Spirit Name: Spirit Type:	Glenrothes 1969 Vintage 40 Year Old (D&T, Lonach) Single malt
Score:	83/100
ABV:	40.3%
Region:	Speyside, Scotland
Body:	Medium-full
Intensity:	Mild, but develops
Texture:	Average
Balance:	Excellent
Best served:	Neat
Theme(s):	Tart fruit (citrus rind), sugary preserved fruit (apricot), spice (mild ginger and peppercorns) and honey glazed waffles dusted with nutmeg, cocoa and layered with thin vanilla custard
Summary:	The oak influence of over 40 years infuses the fruity core with spices that whip the palate, only to fade into thin fumes of wood that suddenly vanish - hardly the stuff of legend, but nonetheless a 40 year old single malt at exceptional value
Tasting notes:	Duncan & Taylor is an independent bottler of Scotch whisky, and it has produced some some pretty spectacular drams - the Black Bull 40 Year Old and Glenrothes Octave 40 Year Old sit at the very top of my list. The "Lonach" series from Duncan & Taylor celebrates the annual Highland gathering, the "Lonach", which is aimed at preserving Scots culture and the Gaelic language. Reflecting this mission of the "Lonach", Duncan & Taylor have bottled from very old whiskies in this range at very accessible prices and this obviously gives most people the opportunity to experience a special drink - a whisky that has taken over 40 years to produce, but not just any whisky, a Scotch. What is more Scottish than Scotch whisky? In fact, the word "Scotch" is simply an old fashioned word for Scottish, but now it has become synonymous with whisky from Scotland; Scotch! All Scotch is whisky but not all whisky is Scotch.   The Lonach range is a "vatting" of two casks from a Scottish distillery, and 'occasionally', Duncan & Taylor state, 'over and under strength casks are vatted together.' You may know that whisky must be at least 40% in alcohol volume to be legally called "whisky". When spirit is first distilled its alcohol volume is usually much higher than 40%, but over many years maturing in an oak cask this alcohol volume reduces and over the course of 40 long years it may reduce to below 40%. What may be meant by a vatting of "over and under strength casks" is that, sometimes, it may be necessary to combine a cask with spirit that has reached below 40% ABV with one containing whisky above 40% ABV so that, when combined, the whisky is over 40% ABV and can be sold as "whisky". Tasting notes for this whisky are short. The wood, spices of mild ginger, nutmeg and subtle peppercorns dominate over some waves of smoothing vanilla custard that sit beside honey glazed waffles dusted with nutmeg, cocoa and dollops of preserved apricot with shavings of citrus rind - the flavours are tainted with wet bark as the wood spices develop towards the finish. The finish vanishes quickly, with the wood lingering. This is an enjoyable whisky, and recommended for anyone who is itching to try a 40 year old single malt at a great price - it won't blow your socks off but it will scratch your itch at least!
Likes:	This is a 40 year old single malt at exceptional value. It offers some of the hallmarks of age, and this is a perfect introductions to older styles of single malts. There is obviously much better similarly aged whisky on the market, but good luck getting it at anywhere near this price.
Dislikes:	Mild mannered and lacking in clout or fireworks
Price:	£140 (UK), $180 (Aus)

Glenrothes 1998

Spirit Name: Spirit Type:	Glenrothes 1998 Vintage Single malt
Score:	87/100
ABV:	43%
Region:	Speyside, Scotland
Body:	Medium
Intensity:	Medium
Texture:	Medium
Balance:	Excellent
Best served:	Neat Whisky Exchange
Theme(s):	Cereal notes, wholemeal, gingerbread, vanilla, cocoa, bread and butter pudding, raisins, cooked raspberries, tart fruit pie, Autumn leaves, golden honey, caster sugar, cinnamon, bitter marmalade, dried figs
Summary:	Getting better and better with each tasting, golden honey and cinnamon brightens the tart and sweet cooked fruit as granular cereal notes are smoothed by gentle vanillas, malt and the leafy gusts of Autumn winds - be patient with this one, and with time its subtle shades of complexity should unfurl
Tasting notes:	Nose: Fresh and crisp, sparks of cereal notes emerge with layers of vanilla, gingerbread, cocoa and bread and butter pudding packed full of raisins. The first whiff of this whisky is disappointing, but as the whisky rests in the glass the character develops into something unique and yet typically Glenrothes with sparks of spice igniting within malt. The sweetness develops into cooked raspberries over which sits a dusting of caster sugar and some golden honey – that sugar is something special, as the dusty caster sugar develops into hard shards of toffee and in the backdrop burns a freshly lit match. This whisky conjures memories of Autumn – dry leaves and freshness. Taste: A flood of malt carries bright spices such as cinnamon, as a sweetness develops in the form of whole meal raspberry and apple pie – the crunch of the pastry and the syrupy sweetness is balanced by those tart raspberries and attached to the dense wholemeal cereal notes is mild vanilla and spice bread. The cereal notes are crisp and complex, with bursts of honey sweetness and granular nuances of complexity that interact with very mild bitter marmalade that quickly shines and then vanishes - there is so much to explore, with some occasional bursts of character (the marmalade for example) flashing on the palate and then vanishing. Finish: Warming cocoa and cinnamon brighten the palate with dried figs.
Likes:	Highly complex and very smooth
Warning:	Be warned, this should in my view be recommended for those familiar with the Glenrothes style and those who appreciate (or even enjoy!) notes of sulphur - not necessarily and bad thing, but a taste thing
Price:	£42 (UK)

Glenrothes 1969 Vintage 40 Year Old (D&T, Octave) ★

Spirit Name: Spirit Type:	Glenrothes 1969 Vintage 40 Year Old (D&T, Octave) Single malt
Score:	94/100
ABV:	45.8%
Region:	Speyside, Scotland
Body:	Full
Intensity:	Medium
Texture:	Medium-oily
Balance:	Near perfect
Best served: Cask:	Neat Finished in ex-sherry octave casks
Theme(s):	Chocolate shop, berries, citrus, tobacco, menthol, spice, peppercorns, chcoolate shop, dewy, undergrowth, truffle butter, green pear, pink grapefruit
Summary:	This whisky ignites the taste buds with character that has taken four decades to develop - it forms like a thick cloud on the palate and floods it with spice, berries, citrus rind and a herbaceous glow similar to forest undergrowth with truffle butter.
Tasting notes:	Quite possibly the bargain of the century, this independent bottling of a 40 year old Glenrothes astonishes the senses with a character that only four decades in oak can produce and a vitality owed to a "re-invigoration" in ex-sherry octave casks for three months. This 40+ year long process has yielded only 72 bottles, which means that there are probably only only a handful of bottles left on the planet.   This exceptional whisky is aged for 40 long years in Scotland, and then "re-invigorated" for three months in octave casks which are 1/8th the size of a standard size cask and hold about 45 litres of whisky. Three months of "re-invigoration" may not sound like a long time after 40 years of maturation, but the very small size of the octave cask allows the whisky to rapidly draw out the character of that cask and the environment thereby permitting a turbo charged "invigoration" of very old whisky. This rapid maturation is achieved because the octave casks allow the whisky to have: Increased interaction with the oak: Octave casks allow the spirit to interact with the oak more than regular sized casks because there is more contact between the oak and the spirit, and this means that the spirit can draw out more of the lovely phenolic compounds in the oak and the previous contents of those ex-sherry octave casks;  Increased interaction with the air: The use of octave casks does not just mean that there is more contact between the oak and the spirit. Because the octave casks "breathe" just like regular casks, the increased surface contact means that the spirit can soak up more of that lovely Scottish air.  The result of "re-invigorating" this 40 year old Glenrothes malt whisky in ex-sherry casks is something spectacular.  Nose: Almost immediately the aroma of a chocolate shop wafts up from the glass - the chocolate and sugars linger in the air with freshly brewed coffee and the slightest herbaceous note of tobacco. Great whisky conjures memories, and this whisky brings back memories of my very first whiff of a pack of menthol cigarettes - the tobacco, the menthol and the cardboard all mell together. Fruit develops, but it is zesty and vibrant in the form of pink grapefruit and mixed berries with crushed green pear and dashes of pepper.    Taste: The spiciness of this whisky intensifies on the palate, exhibiting an elegant Glenrothes style that captures beautifully what I have come to adore with this distillery (its older expressions are superb). The chocolate shop on the nose develops and evolves into dewy forest undergrowth, truffle butter and green peppercorns with the fruit on the nose.  Finish: The fruit takes a leading role on the finish, with citrus rind and mango peel presenting a bitter-sweet finale with a spicy snap!
Likes:	Beautifully complex! This whisky presents a character that is owed to its very long maturation and "re-invigoration" - all the character simple "works".
Price:	$280 (Aus)