November 4, 2016 - Non Chill Filtered; natural cask strength. Approx. $90/750 ml at Papa Joe's in Richmond, IN; 16 years old; 60.2 pabv; bottled 12/14; lot 1214E. One part of mineral water to 2 parts of whisky yields circa 40 percent, or about 80 proof. Note that there is a less expensive version of this without an age statement; probably multi-barrel blends but not adjusted to standard strength.
Lightish yellow-gold Prominent sweet sherry nose, delicate and harmonious; wet limestone. Roasted pecan. Pine resin and sweet orange peel; touch of subtle funk and even cotton candy.
Sweet entry but then Bitter orange and clove or licorice midpalate; still good burn even at this dilution. Finish is sweet with a touch of vanillin oak; considerable length, along with a gentle herbosity. Less all-out power than a previous bottle, but gentle finesse shows through better. 93/100
December 28, 2013 - The wine looks Light gold colored. The legs are Fast.
January 13, 2012 - Just finished this bottle and will definitely go find another. My wife loves it and I find it delivers wonderful aromas and tastes in a proper glass in front of a warm fire place. The taste is a little sweet and a little smoky. The nose reminds me of honeysuckle.
October 2, 2011 - the aromas are relatively soft at first, there's a little heat when the whisky is agitated. it's quite fruity and broad. the palate is quite aggressive, initially the alcohol overpowers the flavours. surprising as it is supposedly only 40% ABV. but then it calms down and a good deal of complexity can be found. downthe length is amazing.
i'm not in love with this whisky but it is certainly interesting.
January 29, 2010 - Supposedly non-chill filtered restores tastes in exchange for not clouding when iced. I'd never put ice in single malt scotch but this is much better than the 12-yr standard
November 30, 2009 - My favorite Glenlivet, very smooth. Better on the rocks after ice melts a little bit.
November 9, 2009 - TN: Glenlivet Nadúrra 16 y/o Cask Strength 57.6 abv and Ledaig Isle of Mull 20 y/o
The Nadúrra I picked up for under $50 at a Vermont state liquor store I happened to be passing on the way back from Maine to Ohio (where there were also some good buys on Bordeaux classed-growth). With a touch of spring water reduction it seems to be a much fuller and bigger malt than the usual product of this distillery, and with more character. The spirit is light in color and is definitely non-chill-filtered--that little water and you're seeing a snowstorm. Nose is piny and sweet, with a little forest floor and spring-water minerality. Entry is quite sweet and rich, with a nice even burn; amost cornsilk-like midpalate makes me think of bourbon casks. A full-bore back-palate is quite rich and smooth, and there's just a touch of peatiness and a little medicinality and some vanillin warmth. 91/100 and a good after-dinner dram. Boought for the 2009 Kirking of the Tartans at Trinity Church, Troy, OH.
The Ledaig I bought on sale somewhere and it's been sitting, I think a bit unfairly, neglected in my spirits safe after being nearly demolished by my guests during the April 2004 blackout in Detroit's Cultural Center. Reduced to 43 percent for bottling, it's a mellow-straw colored, whispery-light and very delicate malt, leaving an impression of a little sweetness and good mid-palate freshness, showing a unique sweet-leather expression, with some caramel, orange, a hint of wood resin, and sea air on the finish, where a lot of the action is. I think I picked this up for about $30 on a closeout--quite a steal, and probably I should have bought more. Looking on WineSearcher I find that much of what is sold today is 10 year old, but I've never tasted it. I hear this is one of those awake-and-silent distilleries, but for this wonderful aperitif-style malt it's worth investigating. Nothing here to chill the heart of the squeamish, and enough interest for the rest of us. 89/100