These whiskies reviews were done across two different tastings; the first two drams were done as a warm-up to a larger group whisky tasting, and the other two were done at a food and whisky event hosted by a good friend. Food and whisky make for a great combination, but for the sake of jotting down some tasting notes, I usually arrive early to record some initial thoughts before we get started with our food and conversation.

I love to practice writing tasting notes with just about everything I drink; I get particular enjoyment from thinking about and hunting for flavors or describing whiskies with friends as we try to find ways to convey our experience. So here we are, a series of just shorter tasting notes and thoughts; none of these are whiskies I am likely to return to again, though if I do, I will likely write up something more substantial.

For the sake of transparency, before I move on to the whisky reviews, I want to make clear that a good friend selected the two Glenlivet casks below to be bottled, so I may be compromised. I never know if that has led me to grade harder or easier, but I prefer my entanglements known.

Whisky Details: Clynelish 21 Year (1996) Refill Hogshead 54.3%, Hunter Laing’s The Sovereign Cask 15151 for K&L

Nose: Mellow and buttery with a lovely oaky vanilla, buttercream, and toasted cereal.  More grassy notes emerged with bran flakes, waxy lemon peel, and hay bales.

Palate: Mild and oily with peppery dandelion greens, fresh cut grass, Spring-vibes, subtle spice and minerality, more lemon peel at the end with a nutty olive oil and kiss of black pepper.

Finish: Long and lingering with vanilla, ginger, and green herbs.

Score: 7

Narrative & Notes:  I have never had a Clynelish quite like this before; I likely would have thought this was an ex-bourbon Abelour or Glengoyne if I had tried this blind. This was strikingly herbal and grass with a lovely sweet Spring seasonal vibe— the kind of whisky one might sip on a sunny April weekend. There were hints of the waxy quality for which Clynelish is beloved, more assertive on the nose, but it occasionally appeared on the back end of the palate between the lemon peel and olive oil. Overall, this was a unique treat with some nice integration. The flavor profile was sometimes slightly shallow, but the finish was impressively long.

Whisky Details: Bruichladdich “Secret Islay” 9 Year (2011) Port Cask 52.6% for Shinanoya Ginza

Nose: Strawberries with a sweet balsamic reduction, tart lingonberries, charred wood, slightly musty farm with hints of mushroom, musty hay bales under the sun.

Palate: Full-bodied, bruised strawberries, farmyard funk, strawberries under a balsamic vinaigrette, green grass and an herbal liqueur, tractor oil toward the end with sweet cinnamon and licorice spice.

Finish: Medium to long with fruit and funk.

Score: 8

Narrative & Notes: I love a good strawberry salad with balsamic vinaigrette and creamy goat cheese— I am no connoisseur of salads, but put those three things atop some peppery greens, and I am in heaven. I have never had a whisky with such strong strawberry vibes, and I loved the intense funky balsamic that came along for the ride. There was plenty of classic Bruichladdich farmyard funk on this whisky and just a mellow streak of sherry-driven sulfur, more a compliment to the dominant flavors than anything that detracted from the experience. The mouthfeel was thick and heavy as if the viscosity were something closer to olive oil. However, the finish felt just a bit incomplete after everything else. Overall, an assertive and delightful Laddie; this is precisely how I like my unpeated malts from the distillery.

Whisky Details: Glenlivet 19 Year (2003) Refill Bourbon Barrel 59.9%, Gordon & MacPhail Cask 800363 for Broken Barrel Club Hawaii

Nose: Linseed oil and citrus dueled at the outset, with wood taking control as pencil shavings and Lincoln logs, apples and butter lingered further in and water brought out more caramel apples and subtle vanilla.

Palate: Medium to full-bodied, viscous, citrus and wood oils, stained wood, Juicy Fruit gum with hints of cotton candy, tingly fruity chili pepper, ume— salted pickled plum, herbal toward the end with pencil shavings.

Finish: Medium-length and slightly drying with herbal tea, fruit, and wood oil.

Score: 7

Narrative & Notes: Woody, though not nearly as much as the review following this, the flavors took a lovely turn toward fruit and candy on the palate. Juicy Fruit gum and cotton candy were not initially that strong, but a few drops of water, or just time in the glass, brought them more forward as some of the wood slipped further into the background. While I never quite found the tropical fruits that Gordon and MacPhail noted in their tasting notes, this was a lovely diversion from the more typical orchard fruits and apples that dominate the Glenlivet profile. The flavor profile and mouthfeel were highlights, while the aroma and finish lagged behind a little bit and always remained pointed more in the direction of oaky flavors.

Whisky Details: Glenlivet 18 Year (2003) Refill Bourbon Barrel 50%, Gordon & MacPhail Cask 800359 got Broken Barrel Club Hawaii

Nose: Wood and fruit dueled in the vapors, linseed oil, lemon curd, and white chocolate coalesced first, while subtle nectarines, apple blossoms, and lemon oil were found further in, my wife found the aroma very perfume-like with a water note that stood out.

Palate: Medium to light-bodied, oaky and drying, wood ships, herb garden, balsa wood kite-frame making, wooden models and figures, sawdust, dried herbs in the wood shop, dried parsley and white pepper, peppery and drying at the end.

Finish: Medium to short and drying, herbal and oaky.

Score: 4-5

Narrative & Notes: It is not entirely clear what happened to this cask, but when Gordon & MacPhail went to dump it, they found most of the spirit was gone, only enough for 28 bottles. My good buddy was already bringing in the Glenlivet I reviewed above this and offered to go ahead and adopt those bottles so he could pour them side by side. It seems likely the barrel was incredibly leaky… but was it leaky due to some drunk angels,  warehouse workers, or was part of the cask previously dumped and the remainder forgotten? It seems likely it was just leaky, I have not seen another cask 800359 appear on whiskybase, but I will keep my eye out for it.

This was almost the polar opposite of the 19 year, which is why my friend was excited to compare them. The nose on this whisky had all of the fruit, even some beautiful nectarine notes, and while I never found the exotic fruits that Gordon and MacPhail noted, the aroma was pleasant. The palate was another story; it was far too oak-driven to really be pleasant, and a few drops of water only brought out an oaky bitterness. I did enjoy the herbal character of the malt; it reminded me a bit of a Craigellachie, but only if you whacked the malt with a 2x4 a few times.