COLOUR
Deep gold, with intense late-afternoon summer sunshine shades.
NOSE
Without water: Creamy, rich. Resinous fragrances swirl
up before melting into a citrus fruit salad bowl.
Lightly toasted pine nuts. Citrussy. Orange peel and
candied grapefruit. A floral touch. Geranium. Then, the
bouquet opens on buttery notes. Shortbread, almond
brandy snaps, vanilla toffee, fudge sauce. A tempting
mellow bouquet for a sweet tooth! A dry spicy echo
resonates in the back. Touch of liquorice.
With water: Water wakes up nutty and oaky aromas. Blancmange. Drying wood.in a suntrap location.
RUBBED ON THE HAND
Freshly baked raisin buns; toasted brioche.
PALATE
Without water: Round, sweet, incredibly smooth and
velvety. Wood is entirely integrated but present all the
way, sweetly enveloping fruity and nutty flavours in an
oaky shell. Luscious chocolate fudge lingers on taste
buds.
With water: Oak shows up through sweet and bitter flavours. Dark chocolate. Walnut peel. Water seems to unwind the bouquet, releasing more spices as well. The finish is drier.
FINISH
Lingering, nutty. Toasted hazelnuts, lightly smoked
almonds. A distant spicy aftertaste.
COMMENT
Oak gives the beat in the Glenlivet 15 Year Old French
Oak Reserve. The influence of Limousin casks, the same
that are used in cognac, is obvious. They impart more
oaky aromas (vanilla, bitter chocolate, creamy notes)
than American oak. But it has achieved a remarkable
smoothness, all edges cut and a rewarding complexity.
The perfect dram for a sweet tooth. To be enjoyed after
dinner, with a few dessert nibbles to complement its
bakery bouquet. Better enjoyed with no water at all.