The Macallan and The Glenlivet have become the subject of an industry rivalry, and have consistently produced some stunning expressions throughout the years, most notably, their cask strength expressions. Macallan’s cask strength releases are notorious for being on the higher end of the price spectrum, while more of Glenlivet’s cask strength bottlings are good value for money.
Speyside’s smoother older brother wins it in my books. The combination of an impossibly smooth texture and estery flavours is a winning combination, and will continue to inspire whisky drinkers for centuries to come. One of those is a whisky that I hold in high regard, The Glenlivet 16 Nadurra batch 0614C
The Glenlivet 16 Nadurra Single Malt Scotch whisky, batch 0614C – 55.2% Non chill filtered.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Spicy floral notes similar to liquid glue, black forest honey, or varnish. After some time, pleasant notes of oak, vanilla, woodchips, and summer florals. The nose is rich and resinous. With a couple drops of water, butter sugar crepes, and sweet malt develop, and the richness slightly dissipates for a unique freshness. 92/100
Palate: A typical Glenlivet smoothness, it is very hard to mistake this as any other whisky. The lack of chill-filtering adds a layer of silky smoothness that works very well with the sharper floral tones. The palate is a bouquet of summer florals, with a lot more of the honey and raw vanilla shining through. Adding a drop of water or two brings out the undertones of this whisky, with a lot of its sharpness making way for a more mature character, with notes of ripe banana, and ripe soft fruits. It opens up beautifully with a drop of water, but I definitely prefer it without. 90/100
Finish: A long and very drying finish. The fruity notes evolve to a dry spicyness similar to ginger. A wonderful bitterness arrives in the back. The dryness is enjoyable, but combined with the length of the finish, this whisky gives you a thirsty sensation. 80/100
Afterthought: An enjoyable whisky at reasonable prices. This whisky is a great example of what cask strength and non-chill filtering can do. I do hope that its successors are able to live up to this whisky.
I score it: 86/100
Thanks for reading! Kanpai!
Opinions and pictures are my own.
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