Glenlivet 16 Year Nàdurra — Whiskery Turnip

Jul 12

Jul 12 Glenlivet 16 Year Nàdurra

Whisky : Glenlivet 16 Year Nàdurra

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 55.2%

Cask : First Fill Ex-Bourbon

Nose : Floral and sweet with lemon and musk candies. Creamy citrus with a hint of cardamon and floral oaky spices. Malty pastries with rich buttercream lurk in the background— almost as if I smell a Cinnabon following me.

Palate : Medium bodied with a mild oiliness and sharpe sweetness. Limoncello, cassia bark, and black tea— hints of salt and a chalky mineral note hang in the back. Kiss of tropical fruit, maybe guava jelly, and sweet pepper on the end.

Finish : Lingering sweet lemon candies, wax, and pithy dryness.

Score : 6

Mental Image : Limoncello Sports Beverage

Something Better : Balcones 3 Year SMWS 140.1 (similar limoncello and spice, more tropical fruits)

Something Worse : Westland 2019 Summer Barley Series #2: Pilsen (similar limoncello, more pastries)

Notes : A really lovely cask strength Glenlivet, I totally understand why people were disappointed when this was discontinued. It makes for a friendly weekday evening dram with loads of sweet lemonade and hints of tropical fruit. Tasting this blind I thought it was an Arran or possibly Longmorn with the tropical fruit edge and hints of earth or mineral— so I was pleasantly surprised to find out it was Glenlivet.

I have not had a whole lot of Glenlivet beyond the bottles of the 12 Year that the wife and I were asked to bring from the US to a wedding in India or the 21 Year Archives Edition my brother shared with us a few years ago. That was by far the finest whisky I had tried at the time, but considering the price, it was never something I was going to buy for myself. This has a lot of the same delicious notes. While it was not quite as well rounded and the finish was not quite as long, it retailed for less than half the price and the profile was wonderfully refreshing.