Stop number 72 on the SDT is Glenburgie. This Speyside distillery is used primarily for blends in the Ballantine’s lineup. It has been mothballed 3 times in its long history, most recently in 2000. It was completely rebuilt between 2003-2004 and started production again in 2004. Its output is a hefty 4.2 million liters of alcohol per year. This 15 year old (which mathematically puts it as being distilled before the time the distillery was most recently mothballed) comes from the independent bottlers at Gordon & Macphail. Bottled at 43% ABV and is natural color of a pale gold and I suspect it is non chill filtered. The nose starts with a strong vanilla and black licorice note. Fennel, green oak and ginger. Some bitter cocoa powder and a little pepper. The vanilla becomes stronger and a hint of red berries shows up with some distant oranges and tangerines. The fruitiness gets turned up a notch and takes on more of a tropical feel. Light coconut and pineapple, kiwi and banana. All of these fruits are fairly light, but are there nonetheless. Echoing the nose, the palate is loaded with vanilla and black licorice with a touch of cocoa powder. Those tropical fruits come in fairly quickly. Coconut, pineapple and banana. Faint kiwi and oranges. Some light raisins. Green oak and a slight metallic note that is a little out of place but isn’t too much of a distraction. Fairly sweet but there is some bitterness to balance it all out. A light bodied mouthfeel, creamy, mouth coating and dry. The finish is fairly short (after the first sip the finish was nonexistent but picked up after subsequent sips), dry with tropical fruits and vanilla. Really this is not a bad dram at all. Good tropical flavors with a nice vanilla, but it just doesn’t have that “wow” factor going for it. A good independent bottling and it might actually work well in a tropical mixed drink like a piña-colada if there is no rum on hand. At $80, it’s not really worth it though. Thanks to @LeeEvolved for the sample. 3.25 Cheers