Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish

This was a rare find. It wasn't even on my radar when it came out. Luckily I was able to find it in a small store in NYC. The Nadurra 16 was one of the best whiskies I've had. I felt it was the epitome of Glenlivet's potential as a distillery. Let's see if lightning strikes twice within the Nadurra line. From Batch PW1015. Nose: Apple, pear, banana, and toffee. Vegetal, earthy peat. Sulfur, rubber, and some smoke. Agave and cucumber. Chestnut. Croissant. Vanilla and custard. Lemon and grapefruit. Peppermint. Oak. Cinnamon and pepper provide some heat initially, though this dissipates rather quickly. Good start. Palate: Caramel and toffee. Chestnut, Apple, pear, apricot, plum, cranberry, and banana. White chocolate, vanilla frosting, and marshmallow. Rubbery, smoky peat. Lemon and grapefruit. Black pepper, baking spice, and oak. Solid palate. Finish: The chestnut and croissant hit out of the gate. Apple, plum, and raisin. Something akin to Irish soda bread. Cinnamon, black pepper, baking spices, and oak. Fantastic finish. Of the two, the 16 year beats this Peated edition. Does that mean lightning did not strike twice? You be the judge. Regardless, I really enjoyed this one on its own merits. It's not a traditonal Speyside-peated malt (as if that were traditional at all.) Balvenie has done that better. But I think those are top-notch, so it's no knock on this one, which closely trails those releases. At $66, this is a solid value. When you consider the rarity of the product, this is an unbelievable value. Throw in quality and you've got yourself a good deal. If you're a Glenlivet diehard, by this on sight. If you're a peathead looking to diversify your your range, I would recommend this to you as well. If you can find it. Glad I did. 4/5.

The tasting notes by Jake Emen are spot on again. This is a nice sipper with a strong peat note (peated Scotch noobie). Sweet like apple juice and very crushable at 61.5 abv. It's definitely a strong pour but I'm enjoying it. The peat is lite compared to Ardbeg but you'll still taste it. Batch: PW1015