Glenlivet 36 Year (1981), Signatory Vintage for The Whisky Exchange
Whisky: Glenlivet 36 Year (1981), Signatory Vintage for The Whisky Exchange
Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside
ABV: 47.6%
Cask: Oak, Sherry Butt (78 months)
Age: 36 Years (Distilled 12 Dec. 1981, Bottled 18 April 2018)
Nose: Classic sherry notes of chocolate, tobacco, and fruit. Mellow and light with milk chocolate candies, dried fruits, and fruit leather. Chocolate transitioned toward mild tobacco with time, while the dried fruit moved in the direction of Swedish fish, White rabbit candies, fruit punch, and a hint of bubble gum.
Palate: Mellow and mouth-coating with toasted sugar, tobacco, and herbs. Bubble gum and fruit hit the palate first, followed by hints of coffee and licorice. Dessert came to mind with brûléed sugars, custard, taro pudding, and candied dates. Herbal on the finish with muddled mint and thyme, tobacco, and mild bitterness.
Finish: Lingering fruits and hints of herbs.
Score: 6
Mental Image: Jaegermeister Crème Brûlée
Notes: If I had tried this blind, there is no way I would have guessed that this was a Glenlivet. It had little of the rich maltiness I associate with the distillery. I found the experience intriguing, and I wish Signatory or the Whisky Exchange were with me to explain the sherry butt finish. I am curious whether the spirit appeared a bit too dry and herbal, and the goal was to infuse and elevate a bit more of the fruit. If that was the goal, it certainly worked.
I found this pleasant but not quite my style. The bubble gum note was unique, but the muddle herbs and fruit brought to mind hip cocktails, maybe the kind best enjoyed at brunch. The bottle is still available on Whisky Exchange, where they offer engraving! It is priced beyond my comfort zone, though the fact that they offer graving hints at the expectation that this is the kind of bottle you buy as a gift (and perhaps a mark of status) rather than a pedestrian experience for a plebeian palate such as mine.
Image Credit: The Whisky Exchange
