Tastes

Perfect craft presentation. Age statement, non-chill filtered, natural color, 46% ABV (notice the braille on the label). A beautiful soft mist in a golden sunset. Leaves a faint ashy film along the glass. 1½ oz pour to 3/5 oz cold spring water, 10 minutes rest. Intense old oak opens the nose, floral honey, baked pineapple. Bold and zesty on the palate, spicy ginger, viscous, bittering. Intense, brain-filling finish, dry malt and more oak. A true foundation dram. Start a whisky journey of a thousand bottles from here. Dry glass: beloved old books

Medjool dates Black pepper Lightly roasted macadamia Hint of grilled pineapple Surprisingly pleasing! Dry glass: smoked honey

Light Marzipan Some Apple blossom Touch of pineapple Popcorn? Light Carmelized banana Quality but sadly forgettable. Dry glass: lightly baked apple

Perfect Craft presentation. Pungent Sweet smoke Grilled pineapple Deep old oak Weathered leather Dried fig Woody spices Butterscotch finish Dry Glass: A welcome visit to an older world.

Bizarre. White grape juice Asian Pears Plum Black pepper Sweet and then suddenly bitter Medicinal smoky finish, even more smoke over ice (preferable) Loved the label so much I’ve kept the empty bottle to display in my liquor cabinet… Dry glass: pear and beeswax

Eeeeesh… Sappy Musty in the wrong way, almost B.O. Strong Artificial vanilla Mostly one-note throughout Bitter finish A pure disappointment, gave away 2/3 of the bottle. Dry glass: even more B.O.

Buttery Light honey Mint Menthol Spicy oak Bittersweet finish I had heightened expectations for this... sadly unmemorable, I preferred the 98. Dry glass: malt chocolate

Just like the standard 12, but more so. Preferred as a 1 ½ oz pour to ½ oz cold spring water. Overripe Pineapple Bright honey Light marzipan Malty beer A touch more salt Chlorine (in a good way) More intense in almost every dimension Dear Glenlivet: remove the unnatural coloring, state it on the label, and sell this as the flagship 12 year bottling. The move will make the sanitized mass-appeal ‘Founder’s Reserve’ product finally make sense. Dry glass: Banana bread and plain bar soap.

Rustic peat Winter chimney smoke New leather Hint of cheese Sweet apple and pear Perfect craft presentation. From nose to finish, one the greatest peated drams I’ve ever thoroughly enjoyed. Dry glass: beloved old books

Apricot Peat, but relatively little smoke Pelagic Sweet Pear Wild and intense Long finish Thoroughly satisfying Dry glass: smoked chicken wings (perfection)