The Glenfiddich 21 yo Gran Reserva is certainly not the first malt I have come across from this distillery. More commonly known is the 12-year-old, an affordable and good entry-level whisky. But I have had the opportunity to enjoy a 21-year-old from the house before. This was the legendary Glenfiddich 21 yo Havana Reserve and it was really very good. But it was not allowed to be imported into the USA with that name.
Glenfiddich is one of the great and well-known distilleries of Speyside, for many especially the twelve-year-old found in many shops. But the distillery offers many more variants. One is the Glenfiddich 15 yo Unique Solera Reserve, a fine drop from the house.
Nose The Glenfiddich pleases with a wonderful soft note. Leading the way is a delicious honey, rounded off very lightly by a little banana. Vanilla scents form the background.
The The Balvenie Single Barrel Sherry Cask 15 yo with its 47.8% is a special drop. It is not available in every store, I ordered it in France. This was easy for me, even without a previous tasting, as none of my Balvenies have ever disappointed me so far. So also this time.
Nose The nose of this malt immediately greets with wonderful notes. There are fruits such as cranberries and beautiful orange.
A few weeks have passed since the last entry. Which doesn’t mean that I haven’t had any malts. The corresponding tasting notes will follow in the coming days. The first one today is the Glenmorangie Extremely Rare 18 yo.
Nose A pleasant soft and very mild nose with sweet notes of berries and honey. There is also some white chocolate and the mild aroma of caramel. The contrast is provided by light oak notes and the spiciness of ginger.
Some drops I let stand a little long, this one five years. But I’m glad that with my The Glenlivet 18 yo the cork is not dry and the now opened bottle continues to seal well. It will not get much older now, but a good closure is already important.
Nose A wonderful aroma reaches the nose on the Glenlivet. Sweet berries start things off, but are then complemented by hearty and fresh moss and leather notes.
The Glenmorangie 14 yo Quinta Ruban is a beautiful variant of the Glenmorangie. Aged longer than typical 10 or 12 year olds, matured in ex-bourbon casks with a finish in Ruby Port Pipes. The result is an affordable Highland malt with 46%.
Nose The Quinta Ruban caresses the nose with a scent of beautiful dark and strong oranges and chocolate. There is damp wood in the background. Scents of exotic spices and flowers complete the beautiful picture.
Today I’m talking about a rather young malt in my collection. However, the “young” does not refer to its age, which is 15 years. But I bought it only last month. Today it’s about the Glenlivet 15 yo French Oak Reserve. It was allowed to mature in French Limousin oak casks from the Dordogne and is one of the cheapest on the market.
Nose This is a pleasant and strong aroma, dominated by the beautiful scent of cedar wood.
And again, new tasting notes for my single malt collection, today the Glenrothes Halloween Edition 13 yo 2019. After that, more will follow at a faster pace, as I’m formulating the keyword notes in my database. After that comes another change, but more on that in the conclusion.
Nose The nose of the Glenrothes is surprising. As always, it contains vanilla and orange, plus floral notes. But the traces of smoke, salt and wet oak are exciting.
