Glenlivet Nàdurra Oloroso Matured

It’s been a long while since I’ve had one of these Nadurras. Something I think Glenlivet really needs to bring back. I find the concept much more compelling than their current annual releases. Anyway, the 16 was a superb whisky, while the peated Nadurra was decent. As for as I know, this will make 3/4 Nadurra expressions for me. Glad to have found it so late in the game. Bottled 11/20 Batch No. OL1120 60.1% ABV Nose: A very unique buttered toast note. Trust me. Beyond that there are the apples, apricots, plum, grape, raisin, and pear you’d expect to find here. Almond. Honey, toffee, malt, and vanilla. Orange and roasted pineapple. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Pipe smoke to boot. Palate: Cranberry, raisin, plum, date, fig, and grape. Absolute monstrosity of a sherry bomb. Pineapple, apple, pear, and orange. Almond. Leather. Caramel and milk chocolate. Cola. It’s very plush. A fizzy, sparkling water mouthfeel as well. Some honey and butterscotch in the background. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Apple and apricot. Cola, plum, and raisin. Date and fig. Almond. Heaps of cinnamon, black and white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Spice bomb. Long a finish as they make ‘em. It’s a nice whiskey. Powerful, as you’d expect at this proof. It’s sherry bomb that gives the Aberlour A’bunadhs and Tamdhu Cask Strengths of the world a run for their money in terms of potency. However, I’d choose the other two over this one. No shame in that, those are absolute classics. This is good, but it’s only a classic in the sense that it’s all but gone at this point. The key issue is that the flavor can’t match the overwhelming power. Not to say that the flavor isn’t prominent or enjoyable, just that it’s out of balance. It’s still a damn good whisky though—the notes are great. A 4/5. Could’ve been higher with more time in the barrel. It’s NAS, so I don’t know if this is true, but I have a hunch it could’ve been aged a good bit longer. It doesn’t stack up to the Nadurra 16. Glad I ponied up the $90 to get this before it disappeared. Well worth it.

From Batch OL1117, bottled at 60.3% ABV bottled on 11/17. Tasted neat from a Glencairn and allowed to sit for about 10 minutes after the pour. This whisky pours a crystaline amber with notable sheeting and slow legs . It looks almost like a dark honey. Nothing about the appearance of this would indicate it is such a high proof product. On the nose there is immediate honey, molasses, fruitcake with maybe a hint of nutmeg. The aromas rising from the glass are wonderful. They are rich, sweet and subtle. This is a whisky that rewards patience and continued exploration. On the palate there is absolutely no indication of the proof. This is as clean, smooth and rich as any whisky I've had. The finish is where the proof shows itself, with a glow of heat building after the swallow and coming on in waves over a slow fade to a sweet, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is really quite amazing - slow, long and luxurious. The taste is primarily sweet with impressions of fruit. The sherry is notable and well integrated. There isn't as much complexity on the tongue as the nose promised, with a slight hint of oak, some vague and ghostly smokiness, creamy honey and butterscotch all pointing to a rich sherry heritage. I like this scotch, but oddly I'm not satisfied with it. I'd love to see just a bit more complexity in the flavor profile, maybe a little separation of the notes in this whisky symphony. The influence of the sherry might be just a tad too much. Perfect for dessert or as an alternative to a rich XO cognac. My ratings are from 1 (I'll be drinking something else, please), 2 (acceptable as a mixer or based on price/performance ratio), 3 (an good average whisky, glad to have in on my bar), 4 (exceptional whisky and the lower boundary goal for my my curated collection) and, 5 (truly extraordinary in every way).

Following my last Nadurra review, it’s time for another. This time we come to the Oloroso matured cask strength release. This is from batch OL1015, and is bottled at 60.3% ABV and is non chill filtered and natural color of a dark amber. The nose starts with strong alcohol (understandable given the high ABV) but also very sweet with a rich sherry fruitiness. Intense raisins and figs with a strong oaky backbone. Lots of vanilla and chocolate and a wonderful sherry envelopment. Fruitcake, dried fruits like cherries, apricots and plums with a lovely dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg. More chocolate with a touch of black licorice. Aromatic as if it were peated, but it’s something else. Green grass and dried hay. Blackberries, raspberries, boysenberries with a light mint. There is a slight soapy note at times but it doesn’t detract from anything. The palate is sweet and densely fruity. Plums, apricots, raisins and cherries. Sherry and oak forward with a roasted nuttiness following close behind. Some peppery spice, but not bad considering the strength here. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and a hint of coffee with caramel and pancake syrup. Slightly tannic at times, but it’s a much needed contrast to the sweetness. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is a bit thin for a whisky this strong, mouthwatering and slightly astringent. The finish is medium long, fruity - mostly raisins, sherry, oak and toffee. The nose one this whisky was quite nice, and the palate didn’t fall far behind. Lovely fruity sherry and fruitcake flavors. Another example of why Glenlivet should offer more in the way of cask strength releases. 4.25 and thanks to @LeeEvolved for the sample. Cheers

OL0614 bottled at 60.7% abv. The maturation in oloroso casks gives this a rich nose of raisin, Fig Newton, vanilla, brown butter and just a bit of young oak. It’s like the aroma of warm maple syrup - if it was made from raisins. Thick mouthfeel and swell of spice and heat (should have seen that coming) and then almost straight cream sherry for minutes at a time. The first 2 seconds make me think caramel-sweet bourbon more than malt but there is some toasted malt character. Before I can decide what the sweet element reminds me most of a kick of wood, clove cherry and cinnamon swell and then a freight train of raisin, salted caramel, oak and browned butter drag me along for miles. A bit of nuttiness sneaks into the finish a likely from the oxidation of oloroso. Fantastic. I love this. I genuinely enjoy the >120 proof, the heat and the viscosity. I’ve never met a scotch like this, although I’m guessing Arbeloue A’bundah would be close. The catch is this is $70 instead of $100 and I’m not sure I could be more pleased. If I could be then it will cost me... Some will no doubt be turned off by the heat but this dram makes rewards those who dare. The malt character is a bit lost in all the Sherry and might disappoint some but I believe it reveals itself briefly in the flicker between palate and finish. It’s incredibly sweet and might best follow a meal but I crave this enough to pour it on an empty stomach after work. [Crowd chants] “Sherry, Sherry, Sherry” and then they throw gas on the fire.

Appearance is a clear and deep orange amber, resembling Pantone 153. Nose shows complex sherry influence, with dates, caramelized sugar, golden raisins, some cured meat, vanilla, a petrol/rubber element, and noticeable alcohol. Mouthfeel shows a gentle viscosity but intense flavor profile, with a sweetness that mirrors most of the olfactory notes, and adds spicy cinnamon, some bitter espresso, and noticeable alcohol on the medium-to-long finish. Glenlivet Nàdurra is not for the faint of heart. I wanted to like it for the sherry finishing and the high proof. However, it comes across as somewhat harsh and disjointed, and I say that from the perspective of someone who loves high-octane whisk(e)y. I’m not one who ever adds water to any whisky; but this one could use some toning down. I came back to this multiple times over the course of a half hour, and I actually think it would be better at a lower proof. It would seem that there is a reason why this bottle has gone unreviewed until now: I had lots of better bottles to enjoy. The Nàdurra can be found for around $90; I don’t recall what I paid for mine a few years back. Would I buy it again? No. 3.25 on the Distiller scale. 60.3% ABV. NAS. Bottled October 2015. Batch OL1015. Non-chill filtered. N.B.: All spirts tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

I got couple bottles while they last in shop, I looked forward to tasting this, though worries this probably younger spirit don't deliver (despite heavy oloroso finishing). The colour is nice, dark and by the whirl you can see the higher ABV. Luckily, it didn't disappointed me. I could imagine leaving this in european oak for like six years would do great to balancing the intense sherry in this whisky. Nose: Bit pungent, slight hint of acetone hidden in over-riped fruits like apple, pear, apricot. Oak grove with plenty of red-berries recently trampled over with animals after a rain. Taste: Edgy young start branching to the heavy red wine & apricots, touch of old oak planks (yeah, oloroso cask did quite a job). This has sherry written all around it. Finish: Slowly fading oak and sherry.