Whiskies distilled at Glenlivet might be easy to find throughout the world, but this is a good thing. Take this one from Duncan Taylor—it’s delicious! It’s elegantly complex, with a tropical accent (coconut, pineapple), strawberries with whipped cream, and caramel-dipped apple. The sweetness is never heavy or cloying, and it’s balanced by lovely dried spice throughout (vanilla, ginger, soft mint, nutmeg), and especially towards the finish. Nicely done!

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2010)

This is an assured release, one not trying to be anything other than beautiful old grain whisky. Caramel, aged oak, rose petals, and dried heather twigs, with touches of sweetness. The palate has a lovely substantial feel to it, the strength quite apparent, with soft sweet toffees, fleeting citrus and grapefruit, then aniseed tugging at your tongue. The finish is a gum-numbing, sweet decay of fading oaky memories. (78 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2017)

This whisky packs a lot of clean, complex, and well-balanced flavors. It features a creamy, layered, malty-sweet foundation (vanilla, caramel, toffee) chock full of bright fruit (golden raisin, honeyed orchard fruit, currant), rounded out by firm, dried spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, mint) that dances on the palate. Long, warming, spicy finish. Nicely done!

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2010)

Here’s an accomplished Macallan, not a leather-lashed first-fill, but the nose is still replete with prominent sherry notes accompanied by marzipan, ripe mango, apricot, violin rosin, wood spices, and dried lavender. This has a beautiful weight with sweet, candied orange and active spices. As tropical fruits appear, there is chocolate, clove, pepper, and a slight nuttiness, with vanilla and baked fruits on the finish.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)

Waxy lemon, light honey, lychee, physalis, fresh hay, and the slightly tart aroma of ripening pear. On the palate, the pear is honeyed and ripe, awash with a lovely citrus sweetness, before a brief spasm of bitterness as the peppercorn and clove spices move in. Perfect drinking at this strength, it ends with a tart, dried-fruit note on a bed of spice.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

Highly approachable at cask strength with lemon biscuits, oak shavings, kiwi, vanilla essence, and breezy maritime notes. The palate unpacks lemon meringue pie and green melon, with an undercurrent of spice. Vanilla and caramel build atop a growing disquiet of peppery spice, with hints of peppermint to finish. This works superbly as a drinking experience without diluting.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)

Older expressions of this unpeated Islay dram are often quite delicious, but they aren't easy to come by. The best ones, like this one, take the sweetish toffee/nutty foundation of younger expressions and add layers of depth and complexity. This whisky just continues to evolve on the palate. The entrance is creamy in texture with layers of sweetness (caramel, vanilla fudge, toffee), becoming nutty and marzipan-like with subtle background fruit. The finish is long and pleasingly dry, with a hint of salt. Very entertaining and satisfying.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2005)

Baked lemons, light caramel, throat lozenges, and a butteriness to the nose, the grain character complemented by sweetness and warmer fruits. Light red fruits, butterscotch, Scottish tablet, with a nippy herbal bite to the palate and a deep, persistent burn of cracked black pepper spiciness that glows long into the finish. Strathclyde showing lots of enjoyable distillery character here.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

Younger bottlings of Glenlivet are often quite elegant and subtle. But such finesse isn’t always evident in older expressions, which often become dominated by sherry and oak. This one, at 35 years of age, demonstrates plenty of elegance and finesse. What impresses me most about this whisky is that you wouldn’t know it was 35 year old just by taste. It isn’t the least bit tired on the palate, and it is very clean, without the excessive woodiness often found in whiskies of this age. Plus, the balance of flavors is impeccable-vanilla, honeyed malt, peaches, pineapple, heather, and just a touch of oak. A very polished, refined whisky.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2004)

This is really intriguing, with the vitality of fresh green shoots in spring, fresh-mown lawns, snow peas, pencil shavings, dragon fruit, beet chips, and the exotic scents of a spice market. The taste is gentle with lime, herbal notes, cream soda, generous buttery caramel, and some boisterous spices that loiter into the finish. A highly enjoyable bottle: one to dissect, discuss, and digest.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

Here’s a grain that mellowed as it matured, wrapping itself in the wood while retaining its distinctive character. Nectarine, cilantro stalks, celery tops, gently herbal, candied lemon slices, and Jaffa cakes on the nose. Warm buttery flavors initially, with citrus, herbal notes, and energetic spices leading to a finish of soft ripe fruits and cinnamon. Really worth the experience; try playing with the dilution to control the spiciness.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)

An unusual, but very fine, Bruichladdich, with sweet, chewy toffee notes I often associate with Speyside whiskies, not Islay (although I have tasted a few older Bunnahabhain whiskies that were like this). Layers of marzipan and chocolate fudge also emerge, and I even pick up some apple and black cherry fruit in the background. Bruichladdich's "sea breeze" freshness rises through the chewy sweetness and provides balance and complexity.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

Herbal notes of coriander, pepper, candied almonds, circus peanuts, and dried sunflower seed heads, with slightly waxy lemon and creaminess overlaying it. This has a slick, oily/waxy texture and a sweet, nutty taste; those circus peanuts meet a stampede of pepper and sugared mice, the alcohol strength coming to the fore at the end. Unexpectedly moreish, this is packed with gum-nipping, tongue-twisting spicy mischief.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

There have been several lovely older expressions of Bunnahabhain over the past decade, and this is one of them. The vanilla cream and toffee nuttiness is balanced perfectly by polished oak, bright fruit (apricot, sultana, cherry pits), and subtle anise. There’s a calming quality to this whisky that is very more-ish. All the maturity of an older whisky without the tired, dominating oak.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2008)

Terrific nose of apple strudel, vanilla fudge, honey, raisins in syrup, and poached pears. A golden, honeyed dram, with fudge and a spike of ginger spice, followed by apple muffins, apple peelings, a touch of oak char, and a finish of sweet caramelized sugar. In case you are wondering, Beldorney is Duncan Taylor’s term for Wardhead, which is a blended malt of primarily Glenfiddich, with a small amount of Balvenie.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)

When in doubt, the answer to any question is usually ‘more whisky.’ Here, peat smoke takes an upper hand over the sweet aromas of juicy orange and pear. The whisky begins icing-sugar sweet, settles to bubble gum, pear, apple, and malt, showing its impeccably balanced, finely textured character replete with strands of oak spices, gentle smoke, baked pastry, and vanilla custard. You can’t go wrong at this price.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2017)

Lush, soft summer fruits bathe the nose with green melon, kiwi, green apple, tart gooseberry, ladyfingers, and a not unpleasant plastic note, like toy building blocks or the glove compartment of a new car. Baked orange delivers sharp tart flavors, with allspice, barley sugar, and hard candies, later developing apple notes and settling into a creamy, fruity finish.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

A rich, fruity nose of baked apple, fruitcake, sliced almond, honey, and white pepper. At cask strength this is quite a bumpy ride, with warm apple, sultana, and caramel revving up to a jagged peak of ginger, pepper, and clove. When your taste buds emerge on the other side, it settles into a more pleasing caramel and toffee sweetness. Perfect for armchair mountaineers.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)