Tastes

This is excellent. The brandy finish rounds off the rye spice in a very complementary way. It benefits from a modest amount of water as the proof definitely bites. A very unique whisky.

Is it possible to thoroughly enjoy something and yet be somewhat disappointed at the same time? This is how I find myself feeling when I drink this. That’s partially due to the price point, which is creeping up to the $6-700 range, and partially due to the excellence of any aged bunna I’ve had up to now. I simultaneously want more and yet can’t convince myself this is 2-3x more than the 18. At any rate, taking price out of it, here’s my tasting notes: Nose: berries, stone fruit, bubble gum? It’s not a sherry bomb and takes a little time to open up. Palate: complex. It tastes like very old quality scotch finished in a sherry barrel. The fruits hit first, dark stone fruits, turning mildly bitter like espresso/high cacao content chocolate. Finish: I’ll let you know when it finishes. Goes on for a fair bit. Somewhat dry like a good old red tannic wine, but there’s a sweetness that balances it out. Other: There’s a creaminess to it - my friends dubbed it ‘cookies and cream’ and although I wouldn’t have come up with that myself it’s a good tasting note. It’s more interesting and complex than the 18. If I were to choose one for a dram, I’d take the 25. But it doesn’t require a refill like the 18. Ok i went this long without talking price but If you’re interested and lucky enough to find this in the $300s I’d buy a bottle. For $6-800 I’m not sure it’s worth it. I wouldn’t pay that much.

Have the 12 year version of this but assuming all else comparable. This is my second wine finished glenallachie and I have to say i think they know what they’re doing with these casks. Tastes luxurious, creamy, but without hiding the base malt. Price has been inching up on all of these re-casked and/or otherwise finished Glenallachie bottles and I can see why. I’d buy at $90-110 but otherwise consider getting the base 12 - around me it’s $40 cheaper. This is a very small upgrade to that IMO.

This is the cleanest, best, purest example of a vegetal peaty scotch single malt I can find. It’s good For beginners who might balk at the medicinal, ashy profile of most islays. But for the advanced it offers the embodiment of its type. I’d always want one of these on my shelf and at under $70 it’s still affordable. We’ll see how long that lasts!

Will need to come back to this as it opens up. I really find it interesting to taste an islay workhorse that’s unpeated. There is a very strong salted butter taste that permeates the palate from the arrival to the finish. The smoke is there too but without the peat, ashy cinders from a fire that smoldered the night before. Mild flavors of tropical fruits lurk in the background suggesting a more fruity future once this settles down. Citrus-lemon and oak spice round off the profile. Was lucky to get this in the $130 range years after the fact. That’s a great price for this bottle but I’d hesitate at anything over $150.

I’d initially thought this was better than the GR and maybe it is ever so slightly. But the proof doesn’t overcome the fatal flaw of the execution of the concept. It’s young, all over the place, and just not pleasant to drink. What’s even worse is you can’t really give it any style points for trying something different. It just ends up tasting like licking the bottom of a really old ash tray that also had bubble gum or something in it. Glad I only got a half bottle. I’d only stumbled upon these special releases a few years ago as I was new to scotch but of course heard about the legend of the alligator, and I’ve been lucky enough to have quite a few of the old special releases since tasting this. All I have to say by way of comparison is, this ain’t no dark cove.

Solid. Glenlivet bourbon notes of shortbread, vanilla and baking spice but mildly turned up with the decent age statement and proof. I’d buy another at $50-60. I’d like to see more like this from Glenlivet.

Dry, vegetal peat, wine finish really adds an interesting layer and complexity to the base peat bomb of port Charlotte.

Tar and iodine, fire smoke lightened by some dark fruits. Wood spice is there, punched up by the char. Takes a bit of water quite well, taming down the dragon flames.