Review #88 Glenlivet 14yr: Scotch

Score: 7.2 / 10

Distillery: Glenlivet

Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch

What is the whisky that got you into whisky? For me it was Glenlivet 21. I loved it so much that when I was at WhiskyFest I tried it once, that I went back two more times for another pour, Might I add that this was at an event that had 86 distillers and 475 whiskies to try. I was also a fan of the 12yr and the Founder's Reserve as well, so I jumped on the opportunity to try the 14yr in a neat little sample size. Another very unloved way to sample whiskeys before you snag the whole bottle. Give those a shot when get a chance (pun intended)

A great intro scotch line in my opinion. You can go with any "Glen" 10 years or more as a start. That is a pretty good rule of thumb in the scotch world. Write that one down. This a bottle that is in one of the most talked about core line expressions that scotch whiskey has on the market.

40% alc/vol - 80 proof. Served neat in a Glencairn glass.

Whiskey Review:

Nose: Green grapes, honey, touch of vanilla and oak. A bit of lime when sniffing deeper in the glass.

Palate: Tart and oily. Very well honeyed, with grape and white wine fruit flavors. Light cinnamon and ethanol builds on the back-end.

Finish: Fairly short. Some heat, vanilla, dried wood and honey are left over to enjoy, but a little too much ethanol makes it through the finish.

Score: 7.2

Scale:

S+ Sensational - The Pinnacle (9.5+)

A - AXEceptional (astounding) (9-9.5)

B - bravo (step aBove average) (8-8.9)

C - competent (7-7.9)

D - disappointing (6-6.9)

F - flush it down the toilet (fail) (5.9 below)

Notes: Availability? Common. So this didn't come out as high of a rating as I was hoping... but that still doesn't ruin the rule of thumb above. Get out there and try some "Glens" if you are trying to get into scotch.