Whisky : Glentauchers 21 Year (1997), Signatory Vintage

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 43.2%

Cask : Bourbon Barrel

Age : 21 Year (Distilled 23 July 1997, Bottled 29 May 2019)

Nose : Mellow and sweet with citrus and florals.  Citrus candies a slight grassy sweetness opened up with lemon icing, lemon pastries, and citrus zest.  Mellow, sweet, earthy notes of petrichor with fresh navel oranges and a mild lemon pepper.

Palate : Medium to light body with an oily mouthfeel and notes of citrus, grass, and mild spice.  Lemon and lime zest with a subtle minerality and chalkiness.  Herbal grassy notes of menthol, clovers, and zesty orange peel.  Hints of lemon pepper, pink peppercorns, and vanilla at the end. 

Finish : Lingering citrus, herbs, and mellow pepper

Score : 8

Mental Image : Lemon Biscuits and Tea

Notes : Simple and tasty this Glentauchers reminded me strangely of Rosebank, Littlemill, or Bladnoch with its light floral and fragrant citrus.  I am not alone in thinking this apparently— the author of the single review on whiskybase made a similar observation.  Though our notes diverged, they thought the dram to be a bit heavier and with more orchard fruits, we more or less seem to have hit similar high points.  

Overall, this was a classic and delicious malt— exactly what I want from a twenty-something Glentauchers.  This was not overly sweet and the citrus notes were far from puckering, it was balanced, mellow, and very easy to sip on.  Though most of my experiences with Glentauchers have been sherry-driven, I really enjoyed this chance to try a dram that showcased more of the distillery profile sans heavy cask influence.

Image Credit : whiskybase user Whisk(e)yCharlie