A conundrum, the 12 year-old expression of The Glenlivet can be found in a surprising array of American retail outlets. The Glenlivet reveals a delicate balanced whisky with floral and citrus flavors, a bright fresh minerality, and a lingering sweetness. Nose is a limited range of sharp and herbal notes…
Body like liquid gold. Attack is heavy with clover honey, in both flavor and firmness of texture. It tastes like a glass of dessert wine on fire.
The palate is very similar to the A’Bunadh, heavy on the sherry, a little oak, some cherry and citrus, not nearly as much burn, developing with more fruit on the tongue.
Thin body, ethereal. The peat is foremost, with notes of ash, freshly-dug earth, hardwood coals, and smoked fish. As it develops, sweeter flavors emerge. Rosewater, saltwater taffy, buttery croissants, malty beer, oatmeal.
The attack is fiery, unyielding. The body is syrupy and rich, coating your mouth like napalm. As it resolves on your palate, though, it opens up with fruit and oak, rich plum, red apple, caramel, treacle, toffee, and red pepper. Intense and intensely flavorful.
Talisker’s peat provides a background of earthiness that matches its rocky flavors. As this is one of the more complex of whiskies, it may take some getting used to. Once you can appreciate it, though, nothing beats Talisker for relief at the end of a hard day.
Rest assured whichever barrel you are drinking from, it will retain The Balvenie’s signature heather-and-honey flavors, and will likely yield up several fruits and flowers for you to identify.
The palate is crisp and focused, with a little minerality, very little sugar, and an equal helping of peat and a cereal quality like Mexican beer. Some lime and limestone develops on the tongue, along with a medicinal bitterness. I also taste grape skins or seeds – reminiscent of Grappa.
The sugar of the barley is not forward in this bottle, but the balance between peat and malt, and the smoothness with which it comes off, make this a very satisfying dram.