Whisky : Kirkland Signature Speyside 18 Year Single Malt

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 46%

Cask : Ex-bourbon, finished 6 mo. in Oloroso Sherry

Tasting : Neat in a Glencairn @ Home

Nose : Fresh vanilla creme brûlée lined with raspberries— a terribly tempting dessert. Loads of sweetness from summer cherries which have been soaked in dark syrupy rum. Just a hint of the sweet dark smell of fresh baked pumpernickel bread.

Palate : Spices such as cloves or pepper jump right out along with the spicy burn you get from too much raw garlic (not the flavor of garlic, but the particular heat from raw garlic). A bit of salt and a bit of very slight tar come through along with the dryness and sweetness of an old date. The dram has a good dense body to it and over time takes on the sweetness of a black forest cake (chocolate, creme, cherry, and kirsch).

Finish : Sweet, pleasant astringency lingering on the back of the tongue. Perhaps a bit quicker and shallower than I would have liked.

Score : 6

Mental Image : A kitchen in the midst of assembling a black forest cake; the smell of fresh chocolate cake cooling, just out of the oven, an open bottle of kirsch and some sweet vanilla creme sit waiting for the cake to cool.

Something Better : Glendronach 12 (more spice, richer sweetness, longer finish)

Something Similar : Kirkland Signature Speyside 20 Year (less sherry notes, more wood spice)

Something Worse : Glenlivet 12 Year (less complex, less rich)

Notes : I admit after buying one bottle of this and trying it out, I immediately went back and bought a second. It has a good body and its not overly sweet considering its a Speyside and finished in Sherry Casks. The flavors come together pretty well, though they were a bit rougher around the edges than a comparable Glenlivet. That said, sometimes being a bit less smooth or refined actually works in the favor of a bottle. Kirkland/Alexander Murray made a great choice in keeping the ABV higher on this bottle than they normally do (46 vs 40%), it certainly helped fill out the body and give it some extra heat.

Considering the price, I think this is a no-brainer to pick up and try. It’s nice enough that someone with little scotch experience can enjoy it (though you might be better of buying an even cheaper entry level scotch, for example the Glenlivet 12). It is also complex enough (and of course like all AM editions mysterious enough) that an experienced whisky drinker on a budget (ahem) could enjoy it, appreciate its value (price/quality), and have some fun guessing its Speyside origin.