The Glenlivet 18yo
Batch Reserve
The one that humbled me
This bottle was standing in my little cabinet for six long months before I opened it.
I was waiting for a special occasion to do so and in the end I found one:
My first whisky tasting that I put together for others to celebrate a special occasion.
(The birthday of my father in law.) I really wanted to put together a nice set of drams that would form a great tasting.
I had selected 5 whiskies and was looking for a 6th. I decided I wanted this one to be a special bottle in the selection. And I placed it right between the Glen Grant 10 and the Bruichladdich Classic Laddie without much thought. And, shame on me, without trying it first. Somehow I was not thinking straight and thought: "18 must beat 10, go for it!"
Boy, was I wrong. It totally did not stand out and was considered the least of the six by the guys in the tasting. And I was disappointed. I had expected more of it.
A couple of days later I poured myself a dram out of this bottle to sip.
How could I have been so wrong?
When I stuck my nose in the glass while walking away from my whisky cabinet, I was overwhelmed by aroma's that I did not get during the tasting. It rocked my world! So I decided to take some time for this one and review it!
This whisky was bottled at 40% vol and I could not find anything about coloring, so I assume no coloring has been added.
The color is a deep yellow, turning towards amber.
After a twirl, I got a thin line with watery tears in the glass.
On the nose: Apricot, apple, sherried, oak, vanilla and toffee/fudge.
Taste: Again the apricot, honey, orange peel, cookies, vanilla and a little bit of oak.
The Finish: Complex. I got some smoke, dark chocolate, apple, fruits, spices like clove and cinnamon.
So, after enjoying that dram, I was humbled. I messed up at the tasting by not trying it first. Dear bottle, I apologize.
