LDMW Glentauchers 13 Year Old 2009 Collective 6.0 – 70cl
Founded in 1897 by James Buchanan and W.P. Lowrie, Glentauchers increased its number of stills from two to six in 1965. After closing in 1985, production started up again in 1992. It has been owned by the Pernod Ricard group since 2005. Exuberant and exultant are probably the best two words to describe the palette of flavours and aromas found in this bottling, which immediately and with rare generosity reveals the spicy, woody, floral and fruity tones typical of great Speyside sherry casks.
TASTING NOTES
Colour: deep orangey copper.
Nose: Rich, deep. On the first nose, aromas of incense, pink peppercorn and musk pair delicately with notes of precious wood (sandalwood, cedar, lime), bitter orange and candied apricot. Allowed to breathe, the aroma palette becomes more floral (lavender, wild geranium). Gradually, a fine layer of liquorice and rose petals arrive with extreme delicacy.
Palate: Lively, ethereal. Exotic (guava, mango), floral (lilac, lavender), honeyed (heather) and chocolatey, the attack continually rises higher. The just-as-subtle mid-palate, however, becomes richer (quince jelly, apricot jam). The powdery end of the palate (cocoa, grated ginger) is characterized by particularly velvety skin tannins (black grape, dried fig).
Finish: Long, very peaceful. At the start of the finish, biscuit and salted butter caramel notes creamily envelop the taste buds. This rich and syrupy sequence then bursts into pieces. At the end of the finish, citrus fruit zest (orange, clementine) and spices (cinnamon, clove) seize their chance to take over the palate. In unison, the retro-nasal olfaction and empty glass are hot (Espelette pepper) and camphoric.
ABV 48%