The Glenlivet 18-year-old single malt tasting notes and review
The Glenlivet 18-year-old single malt is the spirit that draws the line between mass whiskey and the more expensive and intense ones. The Glenlivet 18 is mighty, but it is also a classic Speyside dram: the malt dominates with biscuit and toasted tones, the floral, citrus and herbal notes are clean and beautifully blended in a rocky and robust structure, garnished with sweet spices.
The more the whiskeys are crystalline, creased and clean in their aromatic articulation, the more delicate the refinement is.
The sherry can be clearly felt with its typical fruity notes. Vanilla and tropical given by the ex-bourbon barrels are felt, but it is always the malt that emerges despite this myriad of suggestions. The transition from Glenlivet 15, softer and more persuasive but less dynamic, to 18, is clear. The border is the barrel itself, as it is used.
In 15, it oxygenates and matures, transforming the malt rounding it up to syrup. In the 18 years, however, he adds a touch, from almost the main ingredient, the sherry barrel becomes a means to add complexity and ripe and vanilla notes. And the alcoholic roughness is also much more biting. Adding a drop of water is not a shame. On the contrary, it helps to make this splendid Scotch single malt much more floral and legible.
What does the Glenlivet 18-year-old single malt whisky taste like?
The bouquet is a sample of Speyside, endless flowers, notes of toasted malt, biscuit, cherries in alcohol, caramelized orange peel, and all the spices in the world, butter, vanilla, and cooked apples in the finish. Giving all these hints like this seems like a useless exercise in style, but it is to make you understand that it is an iridescent rainbow around the beating heart of the malt. Overall it is very woody and creamy, but the charm of the malt does not suffer and emerges with arrogance, just mentholated, with pepper to finish. Excellent variety and persistence.
On the palate, it is disruptive. It attacks with an onslaught of malt and ripe fruit lost in a lava sea of vanilla cream. The structure is massive, the alcoholic backbone is straight, never mushy, expertly interwoven with sweet spices, coffee, cocoa and tropical notes. The flavor is layered. It peels petal by petal, between oranges, honey, caramel, and vanilla hints. Toasted finish, but without arrogance, with a predominance of nutty flavors of dried fruit.
Price
The average price is 70 euros: a figure willingly spent for an elegant and powerful single malt whiskey, sculpted but not tamed, with 18 years aging in various barrels, including ex-bourbon and sherry.
Cocktail to make
Rob Roy, Whiskey Sour, Godfather, Rusty Nail.
Food Pairings
Chocolate cupcakes, cheesecakes, ciambella, Tiramisù and chocolate salami, brisket and pulled pork.
