Speyside

Glenlivet French Oak 15 Year

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

The Glenlivet French Oak Reserve Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 15 Years
40% ABV/80 Proof
$45
Website
The Glenlivet 15 Yr French Oak Reserve Single Malt Scotch Whisky
What the Distillery Says:
Selective maturation in new French Oak casks made from Limousin Oak creates a characterful and unique expression of The Glenlivet. The rich, spicy notes from French Oak interplay with the fruit and floral notes of The Glenlivet. A delicious whisky to savour.

COLOUR
Deep gold, with intense late afternoon summer sunshine shades.

NOSE
Creamy and rich. Resinous fragrances swirl up before melting into a citrus fruit salad bowl. Orange peel and candied grapefruit aromas. Then, the bouquet opens on buttery notes. Shortbread, almond brandy snaps, vanilla toffee, fudge sauce. A dry spicy echo with a touch of liquorice resonates in the back.

PALATE
Round, sweet, incredibly smooth and velvety. Wood is entirely integrated but present all the way, sweetly enveloping fruity and nutty flavours in an oaky shell. Luscious chocolate fudge lingers on.

FINISH
Lingering with traces of toasted hazelnuts and lightly smoked almonds.

What Richard Says:
Nose: This one is kind of like a vanilla stone fruit parfait. Apricots, peaches, and cream jump out on first whiff. I also get a lot of the oak the dram is named for.
Palate: Fruity (mostly apple), malty, vanilla, and oak. This is a sinfully drinkable dram.
Finish: Initially creamy and then it leave a tannic bitter note accompanying the oak and spice. The finish is my least favorite aspect of this dram but I mitigate that by drinking more of it. 😉
Comments: This is a regular in my home whisky bar. It’s a staple of my table whiskies. I don’t like it as much as the old 12 Year Old French Oak Finish it replaced but it is a very enjoyable sub-$50 15 year old.
Rating: Must Try

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Balvenie Caribbean Cask

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 14 Years
43% ABV/86 Proof
$60
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The delicate fresh taste of Caribbean Rum enhances The Balvenie’s vanilla notes in the finishing – whilst adding spicy aromatic qualities to the whisky. Characterised by toffee, vanilla and a hint of fruit.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Vanilla, alcohol dribbled treacle tart, and a roast beef savory note.
Palate: The rum adds a nice sweetness above and beyond the regular Balvenie. Vanilla, honey, and a Cuban guava pastry come to mind.
Finish: The finish starts slow and sweet and builds to a long, dry finish of black peppercorns and oak.
Comments: This isn’t as good as the recent 17 Year Old rum finishes but it is very nice in its own right. Fans of the long gone 17 year expressions and Glenfiddich Gran Reserva might want want to take a look at this one for a less expensive alternative. And in case you’re wondering, this is a whole different animal from the GoldenCask.
Rating: Stands Out

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Macallan 18 Year

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

The Macallan Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 18 Year Old
43% ABV/86 Proof
$150
Website

What the Distillery Say:
The Macallan Sherry Oak is exclusively matured for a minimum of 18 years in Spanish oak casks, handcrafted and sherry seasoned in Jerez, Spain. This delivers a classic Macallan style, wonderfully rich in colour with dried fruits, spice and chocolate orange.

Colour: Light Mahogany
Nose: Dried fruits and ginger, with a hint of citrus, vanilla and cinnamon
Palate: Rich dried fruits, with spice, clove, orange and wood smoke
Finish: Full and lingering, with dried fruits and sweet toffee, ginger and a hint of wood smoke

What Richard Says:
Nose: A big whopping sherry smack in the face. Very rich. Gingersnap cookies, vanilla, and orange zest.
Palate: Raisins, sherry, Fig Newtons, and little bits of wood and smoke play behind the scenes.
Finish: Meaty and chewy with sweet woody notes.
Comments: Is there a more universally praised dram of scotch? Macallan 18 is no secret. Ask anyone with even a passing interest in scotch to name a “great” scotch and more often than not this will come up. Despite how pissed I continually am as the price of this keeps going up I always have a bottle at home. I remember less than 10 years ago you could buy a bottle for almost half of what it costs now. I don’t think it’s any solace but I will say that I don’t believe you get much incremental return for moving up the range of Macallan beyond this dram. The 25 and 30 year olds are nice but to me this is the quintessential Macallan. What else can I say about Macallan 18 that hasn’t been said by everyone and there brother? Not much. It’s a great dram and a benchmark of sherry oak single malt scotch.
Rating: Must Buy

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Macallan 10 Year

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

The Macallan Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 10 Year Old
40% ABV/80 Proof
$40 (this bottling is not available in the U.S.)
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The Macallan Sherry Oak is exclusively matured for a minimum of 10 years in Spanish oak casks, handcrafted and sherry seasoned in Jerez, Spain. This delivers a classic Macallan style, wonderfully rich in colour with dried fruits, spice, and chocolate orange

Nose: A hint of sweet toffee balanced with dried fruits and sherry
Palate: Smooth, with dried fruits, sherry sweetness, and wood smoke
Finish: Dried fruits, with sweet toffee and a hint of wood spice

What Richard Says:
Nose: A bit of sherry but more subdued (as expected) compared to it’s stablemates. Also, there is a lot of black tea and heavy cream.
Palate: Just as cream as the Fine Oak but not as sweet. There is a lot of sherry and some butter cookies too.
Finish: Very long. Compared to the Fine Oak this finish goes on forever. It’s very malty and bread like with a good bit of oak and spice.
Comments: This entry level Macallan expression isn’t available in the United States. Our ranges starts with the 12 year old. Why? I don’t know. It’s pleasant enough but at pricing similar to the 12 Year Old I’d suggest picking that one up instead.
Rating: Average

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Macallan 10 Year Fine Oak

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

The Macallan Fine Oak Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 10 Years Old
40% ABV/80 Proof
$40
Website

What the Distillery Says:
This legendary Single Malt is Triple Cask Matured for a minimum of 10 years in a unique, complex combination of Exceptional Oak Cask; Spanish oak casks seasoned with sherry, American oak casks seasoned with sherry, and American oak casks seasoned with bourbon. This Triple Cask Matured combination delivers and extraordinarily smooth, delicate yet complex Single Malt.

Nose: Complex, with a hint of fruit and heather honey
Palate: Soft and malty, balanced with oak and fruit
Finish: Lingering with hints of oak and fruit

What Richard Says:
Nose: Grassy, yeasty, and lightly sweet like fresh baked yeast rolls. There is also a treacle-like sweet/savory play going on.
Palate: Fruity sweet with a delicate creaminess.
Finish: The finish on this dram feels very disconnected from the nose and palate. It’s very dry with a good bit of woody spice.
Comments: There was a lot of flack given to Macallan when they released their Fine Oak range several years ago but I find it equally enjoyable. I personally prefer the classic sherry Macallan but I enjoy these drams too. This entry level offering is a nice aperitif whisky to have before dinner. I wish the finish was a little more cohesive but it’s a fine dram in it’s own right.
Rating: Average

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