Glenlivet 15 Year French Oak Reserve

Picked up a four pack of 50 ml Glenlivet samplers for AUD$30. Bargain. No expectations of grandeur but about time I knocked off a couple of common place bottom to 1st shelf bar offerings, although now at 15 years old and a retail price of ~$110 (the price point of Port Charlotte 0 for me locally) I’m starting to have expectations… N: There is richness and depth here that were just simply absent in the FR and 12 before it. Wood tannins are obvious and powerful, but not overstated. A little acidity in the form of a pear or apple juice. Syrupy sweetness a little pineapple maybe (unexpected) and a little hint of vanilla. P: Thick and creamy this has a full mouth filling body. There is a fudgey-sugary sweetness in the foreground with creamy oak to the back that compliment a general pear and malt note. Ever eaten Kellogg’s All Bran cereal? Well I am there right now. Vanilla, yep; check. There’s a little baking spice, clove and pepper, possibly cinnamon also. A surprising amount of complexity after the Founders Reserve and 12. F: Medium. Slightly tannic and drying. Pepper. Maybe, just maybe; desiccated coconut? Nothing exceptional but leaps and bound more interesting than the 12 and better delivered with more pronounced flavours than the FR. These types of barrels French Limousin Oak are typically destined for Cognac maturation. I can’t help but think that this liquid would have been better if the cognac had hit the barrel first. Maybe, if things were better integrated and softened slightly there might also be a development of the profile. Is it possible to rush 15 years? I think this a pretty entry level version of a 15 year old whisky, nothing to write home about but good none the less. I will have forgotten about this by the morning though, and thats a shame for 15 years. [Pictured here with an approximately one billion year old eclogite from Glenelg on the west coast of Scotland; one of the few global examples of Precambrian ultra high pressure metamorphism. This rock is in essence a 50:50 mix of dark green omphacite and red garnets. Delicious] Distiller whisky taste #114

Review #38 - Whisk(e)y #24 Bought at a restaurant for 9.50 euros per 50ml, which is not the greatest deal, but oh well, I wanted to treat myself a bit. Nose - quite alcohol forward for a 15yo, honey, malt, floral, fruity and with vanilla, some spice and some oakiness as well. Palate - spicy, with sweet honey, very malty, alcohol forward (feels quite strong and harsh), fruity, floral-soapy, but not as sickeningly much as the glenlivet double oak. Finish - the woody oakiness starts showing up here on the short-medium finish, also showing a dry and lightly bitter aftertaste. Overall, it is a bit underwhelming given the price and the 15 year age statement. For example the glenfiddich solera 15yo is much more complex and balanced, but again, that goes the same for the glenlivet 12 double oak and the glenfiddich 12, the latter showing much more complexity. I would definetly not purchase the full bottle of this. Rating System: 5.0 - Perfect 4.5 - Exceptional 4.0 - Very Good 3.5 - Good 3.0 - Decent 2.5 - Average 2.0 - Below Average 1.5 - Barely Drinkable 1.0 - Undrinkable 0.5 - JB

[5.25.2023] Tonight was probably one for the record books. Torrential downpours, hailstorms on my rental, and hosted for dinner by a NM local and his family who cooked their traditional food from India. The car floated a few times on the road but it was worth it. Our wonderful host insisted we break out a "single malt" and he couldn't have been more right about the 15. This flavor profile caters to me in an easy way: cinnamon rolls, vanilla, sweet, smooth. Next thing you know you're a few glasses deep, chuckling as you imagine your insurance bill tomorrow in the hailstorm. Better than the 12, more economical (and probably more appealing to me by flavors) than the 18, this is a solid whiskey. We finished a couple bottles and I've no regrets.

Glenlivet French Oak Reserve 15yo Nose: raisins, vanilla, caramel and shortcrust pastry. Palate: quite velvety, enveloping, with raisins and caramel, I feel the toffee in the background, but with a sour tip and to follow a bitter not very pleasant. Medium short caramel finish. Nothing special. Rating 3.75 ________________________________________________ Glenlivet French Oak Reserve 15yo Naso: uvetta, vaniglia, caramello e pasta frolla. Palato: abbastanza vellutato, avvolgente, all’uvetta e caramello, avverto del toffee in sottofondo, ma con una punta acidula ed a seguire amarognola non molto piacevole. Finale medio breve al caramello. Niente di che. Voto 3,75

Tasting Methodology: Neat in a Canadian Glencarin glass. Rested 10 minutes. Nose: ripe red apples, pears Mouthfeel: neutral (water) Palate: apple peels, citrus vanilla Finish: hint of spice. peppery Rating: 8/10 Price paid: $80 Overall Notes: Smooth while retaining apple notes (vs the mellower Glenfiddich 15) Would I get again? It’s a tossup between this and Glenfiddich 15 (exceptionally mellow/smooth). This has a hit more character (apple and peppery) - but I would still choose Glennfiddich 15 just for the smooth mellow reference.

Nose: fruity, cinnamon spice, citrus, vanilla, and the lighter touch of a floral/rose water that plays off and mixes with the fruitiness. Palate: fruity, toasted nuttiness, light creaminess, baking spices, finish is decent in length with a little oak at the end. Quite a smooth and pleasant dram. It’s definitely a Glenlivet but with that additional maturation time to smooth it out and give it a little more depth and character.