Glenfiddich Bourbon Barrel Reserve, 14yo

Glenfiddich Bourbon Barrel Reserve, 14yo
Rating27.5/40
OriginScotland, Speyside, Dufftown
DistilleryGlenfiddich
OwnerWilliam Grant & Sons
EditionBourbon Barrel Reserve
StyleSingle Malt
CaskEx-Bourbon Casks, Charred New American Oak Barrels
Strength43% (86 Proof)
WhiskybaseWhiskybase
Wine SearcherWine Searcher

Glenfiddich’s Speyside single malt is first matured in Ex-Bourbon casks for 14 years and then finished for a few months in charred new American Oak barrels sourced from the Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky.

Nose: Pleasant but… small? This one just refuses to expand beyond a small bubble that terminates about one half inch from the top of the glass. But if you stick your nose into that little pocket then what you find in there is actually quite pretty. (7/10)

Palate: Smooth with watery fringes. And by smooth I mean vague. It doesn’t seem to have any memorable characteristics. Sort of what one might consider the average flavor of a non-peaty single malt with no special maturation or finish to be. Boring but not exactly bad as such. (5/10)

Finish: This is where this thing finally comes to life. Dark but sparkly notes rise from the very back of the palate. It’s almost like drinking a really nice, freshly carbonated single malt flavored craft cola. But in the end it just doesn’t have the power to really light up the old fireplace in my chest. There’s a nice bit of warmth developing eventually but it never reaches beyond the throat. Still, this part of the whisky is quite enjoyable. (8/10)

Balance: Perfectly suited to start off an evening of tasting whisky. The palate is a rather nondescript and uninteresting but it’s short-lived anyway and serves as a quick transition from a pretty nose to a solid finish. (7.5/10)

Longmorn, Old Malt Cask K&L Exclusive, 14yo, 2003/2018

Rating34.5/40
OriginScotland, Speyside, Lossie
DistilleryLongmorn
OwnerPernod Ricard via Chivas Brothers
DistilledNovember 2003
BottlerDouglas Laing & Co.
SeriesOld Malt Cask
StyleSingle Barrel Single Malt
CaskRefill Barrel HL15146
BottledJune 2018
Bottles243
Strength54.9% (109.8 Proof)
RetailerK&L Wine Merchants

A K&L exclusive single barrel cask strength bottling of a delicious single malt distilled at one of the lesser known hidden treasures among the numerous Speyside distilleries.

Nose: Every so often I encounter a whisky where I have an absurdly hard time identifying specific notes. There’s stuff. And also a few things. Mostly stuff though. Both are good. Hah! Finally! A faint note I can put a name on that seems to permeate both the stuff and also the things. It’s cola. Oh and then some old furniture that was rubbed with cola. Anyway, it’s somewhat static but I like it. A drop of water flattens the nose beyond recovery. (8/10)

Palate: Ah, much more going on here. A big bold hit, at first spatially contained but continuously inflated with each subsequent sip. I still can’t really name specific notes here. Very, very nice though. Oddly enough a drop of water converts this from water of life to oil slick of life. I like that. Too bad adding water ruins the nose. (8.5/10)

Finish: Deep and warm. I just love a whisky that fills my chest cavity with flavor and heat. Apparently I have olfactory receptors buried in my lungs. I still can’t name notes though. Maybe my brain has finally short-circuited. Luckily I’m still capable of immensely enjoying this. Water dials back the warmth which makes me sad. (9/10)

Balance: Somehow this whisky defeated my ability to name flavors. But it is great. Seriously. I really liked the palate with water but the cost in terms of losing the nose and the warmth of the finish is just too high as far as I’m concerned. Don’t put water into this. Unless you want to know sadness and regret. (9/10)

Bunnahbhain Pedro Ximénez Finish Ltd. Release, 14yo, 2003/2017

Bunnahabhain PX Finish Ltd. Release, 2003/2017, 14yo., close-up
Rating32/40
OriginScotland, Islay, North Shore
DistilleryBunnahabhain
OwnerDistell Group
DistilledMarch 24th, 2003
StyleSmall Batch Single Malt Whisky
Cask2nd fill Sherry casks followed by 3 years in Pedro Ximénez casks
BottledJune 21st, 2017
Bottles6768
Strength54.3% (108.6 proof)
Price$100-200

Nose: A little funky. Some unripe fruit and perhaps blue cheese? (7/10)

Palate: More fruit. (8/10)

Finish: The fruit them continues but with fruit gums. (9/10)

Balance: Odd stuff, this one, but nice. (8/10)

Springbank Bourbon Wood, 14yo, 2002/2017

Springbank Bourbon Cask, 2002/2017, 14yo., close-up
Rating34/40
OriginScotland, Campeltown
DistillerySpringbank
DistilledNovember 2002
StyleSmall Batch Single Malt Whisky
CaskFresh and Refill Bourbon Barrels
BottledAugust 2017
Bottles9000
Strength55.8% (111.6 proof)
Price$115-150

Nose: Plums and peaches. (9/10)

Palate: Delicious alcohol-soaked peach slices served on a wooden cutting board. (9/10)

Finish: One is first left with just a few acerbic notes but then, eventually, fruity echoes rise followed by a deep warmth. This takes serious time to develop though. (9/10)

Balance: I’m dinging it on the balance because the finish sure takes some time to sort itself out. But, hoo boy, is it awesome when it finally does! (7/10)