Tastes

N: very much fruit forward, apple, pear, golden and dark raisins, apricot, dried candied fruits, touch of sherry, hint of an oily citrus, honey, buttery toffee, vanilla, baking spices, toasted malted cereal, a seriously large range of aromas to pick out. T: nice oily coating and mouthfeel, rich fruitiness, light nuttiness, mild oak barrel spices, baking spices, touch of a leather note on the finish along with what almost seems to be a pipe tobacco smokiness, finish evolves and changes nicely as it fades. A wonderful scotch that really is practically liquid fruitcake. Worth it in my book.

N: dark fruits, dried fruits, raisins, dates, brown sugar, a little honey, orange zest, baking spices, light gentle hint of peat smoke, rich with some depth overall. T: rounded fruitiness of those dark dried fruits, honey, candied orange, toasted malted cereals, easy going smokiness, gentle pepper barrel spices, light oak, quite smooth and well balanced overall. A great scotch by Johnnie Walker for sure. However, not exactly worth the price point for the product overall, imo. But don’t let that stop you from trying it.

N: classic orchard fruits, apple, pear, golden rains, citrus notes of orange and lemon zest, honey, vanilla, light cereal notes, lightest hint of smoke. T: light fruitiness, dried fruits, hint of citrusy zest, smoked honeyed toasted nuttiness, toasted cereal, chocolate, grassy herbal note, oaky barrel spices, peppery spice, maybe even a hint of leather, medium to long finish. Not too damn bad at all. Quite enjoyable.

N: Copper Dog- apple, pear, white grapes, dried fruits, honey, slight herbal/grass note, bit of a metallic touch from the alcohol/ethanol note- the youngness definitely shows though. T: light fruitiness, apple, pear, honey, light peppery barrel spices, can be a bit harsh with the alcohol punch, watery and thin overall. It’s ok for a budget but nothing great. There are others that would be a little better for a couple more bucks.

N: dark fruits, ripe orchard fruits, honey, hint of a buttery note, citrusy lemon sweet straw or hay, lightly toasted cereal, vanilla, oak, a touch of sherry, well balanced. T: honey, dark fruits, light peppery barrel spices, easy going ashy smoke that trails at the end, finish is medium in length. Overall, not bad, but I prefer the 15yr green label for the price point.

N: brown sugar, deep dark honey, toasted cereal and granola, ripe dark fruits of raisin, figs, dates, accompanied with a little apple, touch of citrus almost like candied oranges, sherry, vanilla and oak from the bourbon barrel, light hint of baking spices, rather rich overall. T: oily and fairly full, sweet dark honey, rich dark fruits come through, touch of chocolate, leather, tobacco, has a hint of dusty library, transitions to a nice ashy tobacco smoke like finish, medium peppery note, finish lingers decently but not for any exceptional amount of time. A very solid choice for a 12yr old scotch. Wouldn’t hesitate to get this again.

N: off the rip this has a wonderful and delicate nose, malted barley, bright crisp fruits, pear, honey crisp apple, honeysuckle, gentle floral notes of carnations or white roses, the grassy sweetness of a floral meadow, hint of citrus creeps through after a few moments. A little water brings out more sweet fruits, a little zest of lemon perhaps, honeyed granola. T: gentle and clean, light sugary spun sweetness, touch of mineral water, transitions to darker sweetness of light brown sugar and malt, wonderful mix of a floral and white pepperiness, medium finish that quite enjoyable. Water gives the finish a neat herbal note mixed with a floral touch, oak barrel comes out more. For those that like to pick apart a good scotch, this one should fit the bill. Complicated enough and a little different from of the others. It really is a refreshing take on scotch but yet stays within the classic realms of the traditional scotch profile you’d expect. I enjoyed this one very much.

N: light sweetness, honey, toasted cereal grains, malty, vanilla, touch of rye spices, orange peel, musty grain in the background, dusty leathery note, very light hint of peat, hint of woody oak barrel, definitely a JW backbone to it. T: sweet maltiness with vanilla on the front, honey, a little oiliness, grassy herbal notes, transitions to nice rye and barrel spices, peppery spices, decent wisp of ashy peat smoke, finish is medium in length. A few drops of water tamp down the smoky ashiness and lets some other characteristics come through a little, a little fruitiness, someone else (BDANNER) suggested fresh berries and I can see where they’re going with it, finish is a little weaker. Overall, I like this one. For the price, could stand to be slightly lower and it would be appropriate for the product you get.

N: malty, fruity, orange zest, light hint of coconut, a smidge of a salty note, honey, slight floral note that lingers in the background, unfortunately the rum notes are a bit of an afterthought and not as strong as I was hoping for. T: malt, ripe fruits, some cereal notes, a little peppery herbal note that transitions to the rum finish, has a little oiliness to it, finish is short but with a little ashy char to it. Overall, not as good as I was hoping Glenlivet would offer for a rum cask finished scotch. Not exactly wowing me here for the price. It’s decent neat, but for those creative types, this could probably be incorporated into a mixer of some sort.

Let this one open up for at least 20 minutes. You will get more out of it. N: deep brown sugar, rich maltiness, dark ripe fruits, dried fruits, plum, cherry, mixed berries, good sherry presence, baked oranges, baking spices, dark chocolate, old woody oak. T: very similar to the nose and very smooth, dark fruits, malty richness, brown sugar, orange, hint of dark chocolate, a good quality tobacco smoke, old leather, oak, lightest pepperiness on the finish, a gentle and easy going finish. Got it for around $80 where I’m at. Like the others before this one (the 20-23 yr), it delivers a great dram for the price. I will most definitely be getting the next year edition to this series.