Gordon and MacPhail: Glentauchers: 1991 (Scottish Speyside Single Malt Whisky: 16 Years: 43% Abv)
Visual: Yellowed grain.
Viscosity: Fast thick streaks.
Nose: Floral. Pencil shavings. Heather. Vanilla. Toffee. Water adds sulfur.
Body: Toffee and custard. Some oak. Very noticeable alcohol. Grain. Water lightens adding red fruit and cinnamon. Apple strudel and raisins. Spotted dick.
Finish: Alcohol. Uncooked rice. Oak. Heather. Again water soothes. Some toffee cinnamon, apples and raisins. Sugared almonds. Nutmeg.
Conclusion: Water. The clear lifeblood of the planet. We don’t appreciate you anywhere near as much as we should.
Ok, most you will probably have guessed where this is going already.
Neat this is a bit shit. That is a technical term by the way. I seriously couldn’t believe it was a sixteen year old whisky, there was noticeable alcohol, quite simple flavours and an overly oaken expression. So, I was disappointed, and not really looking forwards to the rest of the whisky as I started adding that clear lifeblood of the planet.
Boom. Headshot. Whisky changed.
A kind of stodgy spotted dick rises to form a new base, and comes out with a lot of sherry influence. There’s lots of red fruit, spice and raisins. It is half way between a bread and butter pudding and a high class strudel. In case you are wondering, I mean that as a good thing.
So, do I like it overall? Presuming I have access to water I say yes, very much so. I know my description probably made it sound very sweet, and does have a mass of sweet notes, but the spice gives it a lot more depth than that, making it a far more balanced whisky than I have indicated so far.
So very stodgy, solid and sherry influenced whisky, with a strong base to back. All it needs it water. So use water. It deserves it.
Background: Bottled 2007, or so my web research tells me. they never put these details on the miniatures it seems. Part of my ongoing attempt to try whisky from the distilleries I have yet to try, I’ve grabbed a few minis and I am working my way through them. Drunk while listening to Arch Enemy: War Eternal – the new singer is stepping into the shoes nicely.
