Glenfiddich 14 Year Bourbon Barrel Reserve

86 proof. Ex bourbon and American heavily charred oak barrels. Caramel, corn, toasted barley, charred oak, chocolate, peat, apples, tea, vanilla, dry grapes, pears, honey.

smooth as butter

Glencairn tasted. Nose: Fruit! Prunes, dried figs, fresh apple and pear, light sawdust, fruity sweetness dominates. Palate: Medium-bodied with some wood but dominated by sweetness that dances across the palate, with crisp apple, light caramel, pear, some vanilla, cedar, and lemon zest toward the end. Finish: Fruit skins quickly fading into oaky bitterness, which lingers much longer but finally trails off into tannic dryness. Almost like I chewed on a beaver dam, in a pleasant way if that’s possible. I’m no scotch expert, but the bourbon character influence here interested me, and I can see the appeal of the category. The contrast of light fruintiness and rich oak is delicately balanced, and the more subtle bourbon notes make this a more appealing pour to someone like me. Something like this is an interesting crossover and gateway into new flavors, something I can appreciate. 3.5 on my uneducated palate.

Very light on the nose with vanilla fruitiness and zero ethanol, which is rare. Soft toffee and oak on the pallet with a medium-spiced finish that sticks around for the right amount of time. A very nice sipper.