Glenlivet Nàdurra 16 Year

hot on the tongue, complex long finish. not something I would buy, but enjoyed.

Balanced despite the abv. Smoky.

Amazing, light Peat notes, full Caramel and vanilla flavors. Fantastic Scotch Whiskey.

매우 산뜻하고 싱그러운 향. 입에 넣었을때 cs다운 강렬함이 있긴 하나 매우 부드러움. 이 술의 진면모는 술을 삼키고 난 다음에 드러남. 기분좋은 꽃, 과일 등 각종 향들의 축제가 콧속에서 격렬하게, 그렇지만 너무나도 즐겁게, 거부감 없이 열린다. 그걸 지켜보고 있는 나는 절로 눈을 감고 너무나 행복. 힘든 하루를 마치고 집에 돌아와 한 잔 하기에 더없이 좋을 술. 단종된게 개인적으로 너무 아쉽다.

I missed the boat on these age statement Nadurra bottles. Up until 2014/2015 Glenlivet released the Nadurra (Gaelic for “natural”) line with an age statement of 16 years. Dwindling stocks have forced them to make the entire line NAS releases now. My journey into scotch didn’t kick into high gear until 2015, so I missed my chances at grabbing these bottles while they sat collecting dust on shelves locally. Thankfully, these can still be found at auction for a decent price- that’s where I landed 2 bottles, including this one from Batch #0114A (basically, filled in January 2014. I believe the “A” indicated which warehouse the cask was stored). I scored this bottle, after auction premiums and shipping, for $78. Quite the deal for a 16yo single cask in my opinion. I absolutely love the NAS Nadurra releases- so how does an age statement bottle stand up to those? It’s a crystal clear, new gold in the Glencairn. It’s very oily with sparse legs and tiny droplets left behind- very indicative of the high proof of 55.3% ABV. The nose is heavily honeyed with vanilla and beeswax dominating the initial whiffs from the taster. Apples, pears and cut oak clearly let you know these were ex-bourbon casks and the whisky spent considerable time in them. At no point did it smell hot nor abrasive in any way. We’re off to a good start. The palate again showcases sweet honey. It’s hotter than the nose lets on, but it’s still really smooth and creamy. The mid sip reveals all the wood characteristics and late in the sip there’s a wonderful cinnamon (Red Hots) candy and black pepper note. It flushes away the sweetness and vanilla with a rush of intense power. I really liked that part the most, I think. The finish is long and the heat stays well after you’ve finished swallowing the whisky. Actual cinnamon and vanilla linger on until you’re ready for another sip. In conclusion, this one still holds up well. I’m kind of shocked to say that I’m not sure this is better than the NAS Nadurra First Fill, which is good news to the powers that be at Glenlivet, because it proves they don’t need to age these casks longer and quality probably didn’t suffer by switching to younger juice. They seem to be doing a fine job at selecting which casks are worthy of the Nadurra monicker. I hope that continues. These are the only Glenlivet I think I’ll spend my money on moving forward. The entire Nadurra line just wins big in my book. If I can keep scoring bottles of the 16yo at auction for a reasonable price I’ll probably keep buying them. At $78, they are still cheaper than the NAS bottles on shelves locally ($85-90), so why not. Do not be afraid to buy any of the Nadurra stuff- it’s quality juice. This one gets a solid 4.25-4.5 stars from me. Cheers, my friends.

Sweet, spicy, floral, rich, tropical fruit candy