Let’s stay in Speyside and let’s face a malt from the distillery that won awards at the last Milano Whisky Festival: as you know, this year there was the “MWF Best Whisky 2012”. (Davide, who was on the jury, talks about it extensively here), and Glenlivet won both the connoisseur and the daily dram category. We do not know if the 21-year-old competed, but it’s certainly now in our glass: the color is amber.
N: the first impact is very pleasant: intense and well defined aromas, there is all the full maltiness of Glenlivet, accompanied by a nice basket of ripe fruit (peaches, absolutely, but also apples, apricots … tropical notes and also red fruits, including strawberries and raspberries …). The fruity side is really good and compact, and then it is integrated by lighter notes of milk chocolate and vanilla, a bit of dried fruit (hazelnut and raisins). A few hints of wood wax and shoe polish, sometimes.
P: consistent with the nose: the attack is focused on malt, but then spreads a tasty fruity and sweet flavor. In the foreground we have juicy and ripe apricots, then tropical notes (papaya) and more milk chocolate. There is more dried fruit compared to the nose (mainly walnuts, and toasted almonds). Despite the low alcohol content, it maintains a good body. Orange suggestions, which we had not found on the nose.
F: apricot and malt… apricot croissant? Very persistent. Still a lot of chocolate.
A malt built for pleasure: it is really good, nicely round and intense, it has no edges or streaks that can ‘soil’ a perfect profile, although certainly not endowed with an amazing complexity. Serge writes that it is one of the best “easy / commercial” malts: in all probability he is right, and our judgment will be 87/100.
Recommended soundtrack: the other night he was at the Blue Note in Milan and gave funk lessons, here is Fred Wesley & The New J.B.’s – Funk for Your Ass.
