Glenlivet 21 Year Archive

Glenlivet whiskies are always a little bit of a hit or miss with me (similar to Glenfiddichs), and this one is a miss unfortunately. If I could sum it up in a single sentence: it comes across as something that should have been bottled earlier. It just tasted overcasked, which is something I have rarely come across. Yes it's fruity (apples) and honeyed in the way you expect a Speyside, but the wood elements just don't work overall, like a tone deaf vocalist singing loudly in a choir. It's just too bad.

Very smooth. Not very peety. A little on the sweet side. Very nice overall.

​ Let me start by saying I owe the opportunity to taste this whisky to my brother. He bought this bottle for my Dad's 80th birthday. Only problem is my Dad is not really a whiskey drinker, and definitely not Scotch. This is definitely out of my price range, and after tasting it I'm glad I didn't pay for it. The Glenlivet Archive is a 21 year old expression matured in American oak and ex-Sherry oak casks. It is a beautiful dark amber color that attests to its 21 years in those barrels. There is no statement as to whether or not it is non-chill filtered, and is 43% ABV. Swirling in the glass produces a thick oily coating that produces nice long legs. Upon nosing this dram I immediately got caramel and toasted marshmallow with some toffee notes. After about 15 minutes in the glass it was still the same. I was hoping for more complexity from something this old but it just wasn't there. Maybe the taste would reveal more? In the mouth it has more of the same. Strong toffee sweetness with some oak notes. Others might pick up some other flavors but I couldn't. Just that overpowering sweetness. The finish finally produced something other than the caramel/toffee flavors, being fairly long and much drier with some peppery oak tones. This is a very good whisky, but considering the $110+ price tag, I can't recommend it very much. I've had better whiskies at half the price. Maybe not "better", but more complex and intriguing. I appreciate the chance to taste it, but I won't be saving up to buy a bottle. 3.5. Cheers!