This was a Glenlivet 15yo aged in a single sherry butt bottled by Signatory Vintage at 46% for La Maison du Whisky as a Singapore exclusive. Whisky Live just ended but I skipped it to nurse my wallet. There is a lot to like about this Glenlivet.

Tasting Note

Nose: Melon, cinnamon, hint of sweet rose bud, water yields vanilla Coke, kiwi and Muscat grape fruit tarts.

Palate: Needs a fair bit of air, reckon 20 minutes or so, or it has a tinge of this rough, edgy, hot note that reminds me of licking copy paper. Texture is on the lighter side of syrupy, not as thick as I thought from the legs in the Glencairn. Cranberry fruit leather, roasted barley tea like they do in Korea, a tinge of cardamom, with plums and hibiscus emerging from a dash of water.

Finish: Long, delicate, but thankfully not disappointingly thin. The 46% ABV definitely shows through here. Menthol, sourdough, oolong tea, the slightest hint of balsamic rancio, surprisingly restrained for a first-fill butt and with that colour. The rancio dissipates with water giving more herbal notes of spearmint, thyme, alongside lemon curd and hibiscus.

There is a lot to love about this feisty Glenlivet especially with abundant water and air, but the edge is not totally eliminated even then, so this is an 88. I'm actually reminded surprisingly of Craigellachie 17, but with significantly more sherry influence (still well short of overwhelming), more edge and slightly more complexity. I love the vanilla Coke, floral-herbal and tart fruits, and the tea notes cut through so this dram does not overload the palate. Definitely worth a try if you can get it.

H.Y.