Glenlivet 14 YO

Glenlivet Distillery, Speyside Single Malt

40% ABV/80 Proof

14 YO

Aged in bourbon and sherry casks before being finished in Cognac casks.

Eye: Manuka honey, thick rims and syrupy legs.

Nose: Hints of sherry spice, red fruits, mild salinity but definitely a Highlander. Citrus after air. No burn, nose kind of muted.

Palate: Red fruits, especially strawberry come out followed by red plum. Dark cocoa powder. Flavors are there but seem a tad watered down. Mouthfeel gives back of the throat spice, starts you salivating but also doesn’t totally live up to the front half.

Finish: Short and falls flat. 

Overall: Don’t know how long this was finished in Cognac casks, but I’m not sure what this adds to it. If anything it muddles and mutes the flavors. A good single malt but not one I’d necessarily buy.

Rating: 5.7

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)