A 25 year old from The Glenlivet, finished in Oloroso sherry casks.
Rich. There are notes of chewy sultanas and morello cherry; dried herbs and cooked fruits with apple crumble and a balanced acidity; crème de cacao.
Thick and smooth. There are notes of Sherried peels and sultanas; chewy toffee and walnut; dried fruits emerge with a juicy touch.
Long and rich with winter spice.
I was of course VERY excited when I found that this would be showcased at our monthly tasting. a friend of mine picked it up on his way back to Japan at the Duty Free. When I got to the tasting, i refused to try any of the other drams until they opened the 25yr (i just wanted to be sure to have a clean palette). The nose, was excellent. Thick, rich, and fruity. You almost can't wait to get your lips on it. Just as it enters the mouth and wash over the tongue as you try to make out the complexities of it...it's gone. It has a wonderful sweet nose with little body and NO finish. I added a few cubes of ice to it thinking it might loosen it up a bit as sometimes needed with the older ones but it didn't help. Everyone's taste is different but I (we) were extremely disappointed. I would however recommend the 18Yr (my personal favorite) and the 16yr Nadurra. Could be that I'm just a rookie at this but I don't think so. Personally, I wouldn't spend $300 on it for sure.
My eldest son, at 25, presented this whisky to me for my 50th birthday, and I can say without hesitation, it is one of the finest single malts I've had the pleasure of tasting. If you appreciate the comlexities of the finer single malts, you won't go wrong with this choice.
I was fortunate enough to sample this courtesy of my younger son, Chris. I was unable to appreciate the nose, due to sinusitis, but there was no mistaking the flavours of this magnificent distillation. It was indescribably good! Thank you, Son.
