Region – Speyside – ABV – 48.7%
The day that I’m writing this review is the day after I saw the new Star Wars film. I plan on seeing it again tomorrow, and then again a day or two after that. Yes, people, it was that good. JJ Abrams done right by Star Wars and helped me to forget the atrocities that are Episodes 1, 2 & 3.
Wait, this is a whisky blog and not a Space movie blog, right? Right.
This is the very first Glentauchers that I am publicly reviewing. I’ve had a few in my day but never did get around to reviewing one on this here bloggy blog.
Raise your hand if you’ve had much Glentauchers in your life? My guess is few hands went up.
I’ve had some great ones. Let’s see what this one is like.
On the nose — Somehow I smell a perfect mix of Kellogg’s™ Frosted Flakes and Post™ Fruity Pebbles. (Time for a supermarket run!)
Grapefruit marmalade on buttery biscuits. A mere hint of peat sits right in the middle, becoming the centerpiece to a peat sandwich with lightly toasted sprouted malt bread.
Finally, we’ve got a little bit of lemon pinwheel here.
In the mouth — Fizzy-fizzy mouthfeel, quite prickly indeed. A bit quieter in the mouth. Let’s try a little harder though:
Briny and spicy upfront with some Asian pears, and Jicama (I seem to recall the Jicama note in a previous review).
A bit botanical now. Almost gin-like with the lack of intense Juniper. Oh! Gin Fizz!
Not too much else going on here.
Finish — Lasting gin-y-ness and fizz on the tongue.
In sum — While very promising on the nose, it seems to fall apart a bit on the palate. It’s saving grace, however, is the wild mouthfeel. Perhaps one of the fizziest feeling whiskies I’ve had in a while.
My dirty little not-so-secret secret is that of all the independent bottlers out there, Samaroli is my favorite (albeit a bit on the expensive side here in the US). Everything they do is quite intentional, and as an independent bottler myself, I find them to be inspiring.