Glentauchers 18 Yr Cask Strength
Gordon & MacPhail Casks 5072 & 5073
Distilled 1995
58.3% ABV
$125-$145
Website
What the Producer Says
A rare example of cask-strength Glentauchers, released by independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail. Distilled on 14 June 1995, it was aged in a pair of first-fill sherry butts for 18 years before being bottled on 27 January 2014.
Natural Colour; Not Chill Filtered
Packaging Notes: Sweet, with apple, pear and eucalyptus notes developing. The palate has chili spice with ripe banana, orange peel and a creamy chocolate edge
What Gary Says
Nose: Orchard fruit, stewed apples, an herbal/malty note with a hint of darker fruit and nutmeg.
Palate: Sweet entry with a strong/sharp spiciness, subtle fruit notes underneath with pears, banana, orange creamsicle; some water seems to thicken the mouthfeel, subdues the spiciness a bit and brings out more of the dark fruit notes.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with fruit and pepper spice.
Comments: Often I find the tasting notes in a PR or on the bottle to be fairly imaginative but not particularly accurate. Everyone tastes differently, but these were damn close to my experience (in hindsight, I get the eucalyptus although couldn’t put my finger on it as THAT; same thing with the chili spice). Water improves this one quite a bit, and actually improves the mouthfeel which I don’t find very often.