A tropical expression from The Glenlivet, for Caribbean Reserve a portion of the whisky was finished in casks which previously held Caribbean rum. The distillery folks suggest adding a splash of coconut water, though we reckon a malty twist on a Mai Tai is on the cards!
Honeyed orchard fruit, tinned pear and fried banana.
Ripe tropical fruit and brown sugar, along with cinnamon pastries.
Pineapple upside down cake.
Average a best. Similar to founders reserve, which is also average. Decent sipper but Aberlour 12 all day long if you're spending this kind of money.
I was very disappointed with this. I thought there would be more taste of the Caribbean, but no. I'm left with a grainy taste. For the price I expected more, I think I'll stick to Aberlour 12 year old as a very safe bet.
It is what it says it is. Tastes like the Founders Reserve mixed with Captain Morgan White. The best thing about it is it's ABSURDLY smooth. No alcohol bite at all. It's about what you'd expect for the price point, not awe inspiring, but not absolute swill. It'll probably just be used as a mixer in place of cheap rum until it's gone. I had high hopes but sadly, the price tag should have told me all I needed to know.
Paired this alongside 12 other $50-$100 bottles.. this is NOT GOOD. Its the complete opposite of smooth, it’s sharp! Sure it has toffee notes in the nose, but there’s nothing unique, outstanding, significant about this. I would expect more from Glenlivet.
As a rum drinker as well as a whisky drinker I really enjoyed this. It's essentially the Founder's Reserve NAS single malt with some nice rum notes from the additional finishing, so comparing to 12-14 year olds is a little silly and pointless in my view. I think as long you keep this in mind you can keep your expectations in check, but it is nice for what it is. I would buy again.
