Glenlivet 16 Year Old Nadurra

I found one of these sitting on a shelf in Nashville 2 years ago. Thankfully I snagged it because I haven't seen one since. This is batch 0814D. Nadurra means "natural," and this is bottled at cask strength and natural color, as we wish all whisky was. It is aged 16 years in first fill bourbon casks.

This bottle has been opened for about 5 months and is 90% full. It has had some air, but the fill level is going down very slowly. Neat in a Glencairn.

One note about the color, this is one of the lighter 16yo whiskies I've come across, even among other NCF no color added whiskies.

Nose: Very clean. The malt really comes through. Cereal, honey sweetness, vanilla. Lots of honey and vanilla. Some chocolate, coffee beans. Balanced, nothing overpowering. Seems to me like the casks were not that active which has let the underlying spirit really shine, although bourbon notes do come through vividly and softly. Not hot at all. People who drink bourbon would love this. The more I nose it, the more bourbon I smell.

Palate: Wow, good strength of flavour here. Honey most notably, followed by vanilla. Malt and cereal. Like before, it seems you get a lot of the underlying spirit here. Not overly complex, but very clean, very approachable. A tad bit of fruit (apricot, mandarin oranges), chocolate if you look for it, latte, and just more loads of honey and vanilla.

Finish: Honey drizzles down the back of my throat with vanilla and ripe oranges. Long lasting.

Overall: This would be a great introduction into cask strength, non-peated, non-sherried scotch. A great one to give to a bourbon drinker. Not the most complex, but very clean, with the malt and cereal notes coming through, along with the bourbon notes, honey, and just a tad bit of deeper chocolate and coffee notes. I will enjoy every last drop of this since it is becoming harder and harder to come by.

This was my first taste of Nadurra, and it was a pre-dinner cocktail.

A nice warm light golden color of hay/straw. Great palate for a warm summer evening's dram.

On the nose, one is immediately overwhelmed with honey sweetness. Whoa! Setting it down for just a minute, I took another scent. Banana, vanilla, butterscotch and some almond are there. The scents are truly mouthwatering. And they open up a bit more after letting it sit for a couple minutes.

With the first sip, the honey is plainly evident, as it completely fills the mouth. I was a bit surprised at the alcohol burn, but that's not unexpected with a cask strength whisky.

The second sip is where the underlying flavors come through. It's like having a hard candy in your mouth that slowly melts. Banana, custard, toffee and some slight floral notes cover the palate.

Flavors that continue to develop as you sip Nadurra are stronger than one would expect, simply from the powerful initial honey scent.

This is truly a special whisky, and one that I will go back to. I can see it as being a perfect after dinner companion with coffee/cappuccino, or just a nice sipper with a small cube of ice on a warm evening.

Pale gold colour coats the glass as you swirl and savour the aroma.

Nose: apples, ripe Galia melon, vanilla and citrus

Palate: sweet melon followed by crisp green apple and zesty lemon, warming cinnamon and ginger follows.

Finish: spicy with mouth drying oak cleaned up by another burst of lemon which makes the mouth water.

Added a little water 5ml to 50ml, to second pour after having the first neat and I found it gave a more spicy palate and finish, the haze in the liquid was expected but had no adverse effect on the taste.

This is really good stuff so much more to it than my usual bourbon fare.

Kudos to all you guys who have submitted so many reviews I have limited whisky experience but have used this site too gauge what I might like, so far so good.

Now what to try next that I have not had before, unopened on the shelf are HP12, A'bunadh batch 50, Yamazaki Distillers or the mighty Bookers. All bought on the back of your reviews so hoping for good things.

I bought this bottle here in Sweden as the price was good and also it happened to be from 2010. The Nadurra range has gotten good (well deserved) reviews out there the last couple of years.

So to test this myself i bought a litre bottle of present day Nadurra 16 year old at the duty free this january, so later on i will post my comparison review of that on the board.

Back to the older Nadurra>

Nose Intense barley sugar and a deep, complex vegetal and citrussy barley note. Confectionary or candied peach and pear. Rose dominated floral note.

Palate Full flavoured barley sugar and turkish delight, classic Glenlivet! Rosewater, cherries and hint of olives, hmmm. A natural vanilla, stem ginger and a floral element on the tail, as with the nose but here it is a violet tone that dominates slightly.

Finish The Bourbon oak holds with that glenlivet turkish delight, rosewater and an additional note of strawberry (note too sweet, but very natural)

Well this was fresh, well matured, solid and very complex single malt. All i can say is that this Nadurra range really has pedigree! Hope it will continue.

Quick fire notes here...

This is the expression using virgin QA american white oak. THe call them 1st fill casks but they are in fact virgin 1st fill.

Big brand, big name, big flavours! The nose is sweet honey, vanilla apples and not surprisingly strong alcohol. Palate of sweet vanilla, citrus, tropical fruits and water brings on a stronger taste of banana. The finish has oak spice but is fairly short considering how powerful it is on the palate.

It is very drinkable, and water smoothes it out nicely.

I like this better than the sherry cask version I tried 18 months back.

This Glenlivet showcases a whisky cool, full and fresh. Thick with a sweet palate. Entertains you by being strong, yet mellow. Bit of a fruity character as well. In my opinion, Elliot Wilhelm played by The Rock in "Be Cool" the movie. Elliot brings a fruity, yet spicy character in the movie, being gay, country western-singing bodyguard.

He does just the same, that Glenlivet Nàdurra 16 yrs does. And they both are fabulous while doing it. This whisky is worth a try, you should get a whole bottle if you can.

Nose: Very sweet at the start, apricot marmalade with fruity liqueur. Those turn into chalk licorice with hints of smoke.

Taste: Crispy, thick and sweet, every now and then turning a bit bitter. Jam, green apples and tropical fruits. Drops of lemon and oak with vanilla.

Finish: Crispy and dry, bitter orange marmalade with a spicy touch and gingery notes.

Balance: Very good, rich dram with thickness and fresh fruitiness.

I have a faiblesse for cask strength whisky. I have had other Glenlivets and found them nice but perhaps lacking Power. The Nàdurra CS does not lack Power nor taste.

Nose First whiff I'm being met by delicious green apples, citrus, oranges and mandarins. A real fruitbasket. Putting my nose to it again I begin to sense some vanilla notes accompanied by biscuit, pineapple and apple juice. It is not at all sharp even with the alcohol pushing 55%. Mildly floral but mostly an explosion of summer fruits.
Allowing it to breathe does open it up and bring some additional elements to the aroma. Greek Retsina wine and a very creamy vanilla with fresh pears.
Adding water brings out sweet bourbon notes, distinct wood and lets of an aroma of vanilla-pear icecream. Swedish icecream stick called "päronsplit".

Palate When introducing this finely scented nectar to your tongue you are reminded that it is a cask strength whisky. But, not at all in a bad way. It is a bit prickly and it packs some alcohol burn but it is Not "alcoholic" to the feel. I'm tasting vanilla, green apples, vanilla custard. It has a slight and pleasant bitterness. Adding water makes it much more floral and emphasises the very creamy vanilla in company with frangipane and a pleasantly bitter apple.

Finish The vanilla custard stays on for the duration of the trip. A slightly unripe apple that is bitter takes the backseat. Pineapple and a very slight peppery note.

It is not the most complex dram I've ever had. It's a bit reminiscent of the 18yr old but "more" in every aspect. A nice, somewhat light CS Bottling that is very unoffensive yet flavourfull.

The nose is luscious, intensely sweet, and creamy. There are also notes of tropical fruit - tangerine, pineapple, and guanabana. The overall effect of the nose is similar to Glenmorangie, but "thicker" and more intense. On the tongue, this scotch really isn't fooling around. It has substantial body, almost an oiliness to it, and a spicy sting. This is a "sledgehammer" version of Glenlivet that makes the Glenlivet 12 seem limp and pale by comparison. In this case, extra strength and extra age have paid off considerably. There is a strong tropicality on the tongue as well as a big honey-sweetness that lingers and leaves behind an alcoholic sting. This should be a real pleasure to those who like the marriage of complexity and power found only in cask-strength bottles.

Nàdurra loosely translates as “natural” according to the label, it’s apparently made using traditional methods and aged in first fill ex bourbon casks. Is that a contradiction in terms? Who cares if it tastes good, certainly not me.

Pours as quite a viscous gold liquor, a simple floral aroma greets the nose, vanilla, frangipane and honey suckle make for a sweet agreeable start.

There is plenty of body when you imbibe, almost a syrupy richness to the mouth feel. The flavours are somehow at odds to the weight, mainly light floral and fruity. Vanilla as you’d expect from the bourbon casks, apple, satsuma and fresh apricot. There is also a pleasing biscuit flavour and a touch of spice to complete the profile of this malt, the flavour development is near perfection. The symphony of flavours continues into the long finish which is spicier and dryer.

Overall a pleasing combination of quite light flavours with a heavy weight texture. It would probably score considerably less at 40% ABV, so not one to dilute.

The Glenlivet Nadurra (which is Gaelic for 'natural') has been available since 2005, always matured on first fill bourbon casks. Many batches have been bottled. We try the batch from July 2012, bottled at cask strength.

Very creamy nose on loads of vanilla, honey and oak. Then some banana and citrus follow in equal measures. A juicy pear with loads of cavaillon (melon). Barbapapa! Remember this? That candy sugar, of course. Marshmallows wrapped in white chocolate. Wonderful. With a little water it becomes sharper with some more oak. Not sure that was such a good idea.

It is also very creamy and sweet on the palate, with the citrusy notes taking charge. Loads of spices from the oak, now. Ginger, aniseed and white pepper. This is big! It does not really need water, but let me add just a splash. This makes the citrus fruit stand out even more.

The finish on citrus and ginger is long, with a lot of liquorice on the deathbed.

Very, very nice Glenlivet, but handle with care when adding water.

This has been on my to-do list for a while. I’ve recently rediscovered my bottle of ‘livet 18 that’s been sitting relatively untouched at the back of my cabinet for the better part of a year. It’s a lovely dram, and it’s reminded me that Glenlivet is indeed capable of making some fine whisky. Here we’ve got the 16 year old cask strength Nadurra.

Nose: Strong apples, vanilla, cereal, honey. Behind there are some floral notes, lemon, and pears. Fresh and very farmy. Reminiscent of a warm summer breeze over a field of wheat. Intense and enjoyable.

Palate: Medium mouthfeel. Apples, pears, lemon, honey, grass, vanilla and pancakes. There’s that strong cereal/grainy note again. It integrates beautifully with the honey and vanilla. This is very much a follow-through from the nose.

Finish: The honey, vanilla and cereal dominate, and they linger throughout the medium-long finish. A bit of oak here, too. There is also some nutmeg, ginger, and pepper, but the spices are gently presented and very well integrated. This is undoubtedly the best finish I’ve tasted from a Glenlivet whisky before.

I think this is lovely stuff. It’s not groundbreaking in the flavour department, but there’s a definite charm and character to this dram. The cereal/grain/honey/oak notes truly reminds of a lazy afternoon on a farm in late summer. No, it’s not particularly complex or challenging, but it is both strong and inviting. It’s also remarkably steady. Generally speaking; what you smell on the nose is delivered on the palate and is left lingering at the finish. Such consistency of flavour is rare, and a lesser whisky would not pull it off. But the Nadurra’s intrinsic quality and strong abv give us a bit more character and punch than I’ve come to expect from Glenlivet. Definitely recommended.

Glenlivet's Nadurra is the most natural bottling in their range, released without chill filtering and at cask strength, a sturdy 54.8% in this case. These two things are definite pluses in my book, and things I wish I saw more of. It's also aged 16 years in first-fill American oak casks.

Appearance: a light, clear, pale gold-yellow.

Nose: Strong, sweet vanilla, almost like a good cream soda. Light floral notes, mild sweet baking spices, honey, apple, toasted oak, and a mild note of grass or straw that I found quite pleasant. Intense (as one would expect) and fairly fresh. Time in the glass or water bring the vanilla out even more, and also bring more of the oak notes forward.

Palate: Rich-textured, which one would expect from a high-strength, non chill filtered whisky. Sweet vanilla, honey, spices, and quite a hit of sweet, juicy peach lie over a bed of toasted oak, melon, mild floral notes, poached pear, and hazelnut.

Finish: Fairly long, dry, and bittersweet, with orange, lavender, mild spices, licorice, toasted hazelnuts, and lots of oak mingled with some lingering peach and honey.

Overall Impressions: Not overly complex but the flavors present are bold, refined, and well-integrated. The strength and lack of chill filtration suits this whisky perfectly, allowing for the mix of intensity and subtlety of flavor that is one of my favorite things about a good whisky. I also really quite liked the way the fairly sweet vanilla-fruit palate transitioned into a lengthy, dry, wood-dominated finish.

Before I go on I do not know the batch number for this one but if I had to guess based on my experience and expert notes I believe this is the 0512T batch.

Nose: Creamy sweet vanilla and lots of it. Fresh apple blossoms, fresh cut apples, honey, caramel, barley/grains. This is basically a caramel apple strudel in a glass. (So far anyway)

Body: Upon swirling, thin legs move slowly down the sides of the glass. Quite tongue coating (in my opinion). Leaves a gentle tongue tingle.

Taste: Malted grains coated with honey. (Like honeyed sweet oatmeal) Light toast with a raspberry marmalade. Poached spiced/caramel apples come to mind. This is tasty stuff. I think I can still find this nearby (Ill have to check)

Finish: Spiced (nutmeg, cinnamon) oak seems to linger. Medium length, has a bit of a contrasting quality to it. Its nice to have this too.

Overall: Tasty, very tasty. Easily recommended, especially if you are looking for your first cask-strength drop or you want to try the basically uncut/unfiltered 12yr. I wish I had bought this earlier when it came out in my area. I think its still there at my local store. Ill have to find it.

Got this 2 weeks ago, and i finally cracked it open and had a drink for those who do not know Nadura is bottled at cask strength and it can vary batch to batch as it happens this was bottled 06/06, Batch: 06064 and I think it is an excellent dram for a fair price of 55 dollars in Mt.Shasta City. This whisky does not need water, seriously you will miss what is had to offer but if you need to add a teaspoon of spring water. Nose: Apples, Vanilla, Cinnamon, burnt sugar, spice. Palate: Vanilla, Apples, Cinnamon, burnt sugar, spice and pepper to round it off. Finish: Vanilla, spiced apples, and pepper it last around 3-4 minutes.

In a word vanilla bomb, serve this to a scotch newbie and they will ask for more, a veteran will be amazed at the quality to come out of Glenlivet. A word of warning it can be slightly numbing, but hey i found that to be a plus.

First vapor: Starts like mahogany wood and maybe yesterday's smoked pipe. These give way quickly to a sweetness...

Nose: Toffee more than honey, over a background of vanilla and faint mixed apples. Citrus rind tickles the nose like a muted peppery spice. A light toffee-apple with a zesty sting. Nose2: After a few minutes breathing, the toffee is more like crusty dough; the apples are more like pear; and the spice more like cinnamon. A baked cinnamon-pear tart. Nose 3: With even more time, smoothens to a creamy pudding of lemon and ginger.

Palate: Big sour green apple peels make a big splash. Then this crashes out into pleasant vanilla... turning creamy lemon, and then bringing peppery oak spices like nutmeg and ginger, over dry pear.

Finish: The spices temporarily fade to potpourri as a vanilla smoothness revisits; then lemon lingers and brings back the oak spices-- possibly anise but definitely nutmeg.

I was pleasantly surprised by the balance: The fruits are strong even though they are light, but it is not too sweet. Oak brings strong but pleasant spices (which for instance are absent in the 18), with the only upset being on the entrance. I usually prefer having at least a touch of sherry element to bring depth and balance-- But if you prefer scotches with predominantly oaky (and bourbon) character, then this is one of the best expressions that I have encountered.

Several months ago I purchased a bottle of Glenlivet Nadurra from the local Dan Murphy's. I'd been reading rave reviews about this cask strength whisky for months and finally decided to take the plunge.

It was a disappointment and a bottle that I struggled through, hoping all the while that it would just turn and I'd see the light and go "YES! THIS IS BRILLIANT!"

That never occurred.

So it was with some relief when I saw the last of that bottle that my wife, brother in law, sister in law and I had struggled through.

It was also with some excitement that I saw a sample of another batch of Nadurra had arrived in a recent whisky trade that I did with a friend of mine from Queensland, Systemdown.

This one sat at 54.2%abv and was from batch #11091.

After a long day at work when I arrived home I decided to crack open this sample and give it a shot.

Same color as the last Nadurra that I had.

A nose that is somewhat similar to the last Nadurra I had, definitely a Glenlivet, but better.

Honey, toffee, slightly floral, pears, apples, some slight spice, cinnamon I'd say.

Definitely not bad. There's something else yummy lingering under it all, but I can't pinpoint it.

Argh!

Similar Nadurra taste, floral, but not hugely so, honey, toffee, oak, green fruits, apples and pears again, pears more so then apples.

Definitely a big step over over my first Nadurra!

Long lingering finish with slight floral notes, pears, and honey.

Not a bad whisky!

Not the world's most complex whisky, as my brother in law described it quite one dimensional, but a whisky that gets better when it has time to breath.

This is what I was hoping to get when I purchased my first Nadurra! This is a whisky I wouldn't mind paying $110 or so for a bottle.

I'd like to thank Systemdown in Queensland for this sample, this sample has made me much more inclined to try the Nadurra again and has also made me very aware that on this whisky I'll have to check for which batch the bottle is from.

If you get a chance to try a Nadurra do so. I might not just buy a bottle blind, but if you see it at a bar, don't hesitate to give it a shot, you might enjoy it, you might not.

Glenlivet Nadurra is excellent. Take your time with this cask strength, unfiltered, unadulterated dram. I allow it to open with a teaspoon or two of water, but not too much. Despite being bottled at cask strength it is still light. With a little water its notable citrus notes fade to green apple and dried fruit. Vanilla and oak are prominent. Notes of raisons, fudge, and creamy butter become more evident with time. After about 15 minutes hints of nuts and dry spice develop just under the continued vanilla oak notes.

This is one of only a few cask strength drams I can get in my area and thankfully I enjoy it.

I cannot believe the value in this whisky. For me and my wife this ranks with Ardbeg Correyvreckan for much less. The Nadurra has a wonderful nose, floral, sweet, oakey,vanilla. One of the best. Incredibly smooth on the palate, full of flavor... delicious. Finish is long and mouth numbing...remember this is cask strength. My wife and I drink all scorched neat in glencairn glass. This whiskey tastes and feels much more than the $77 cost.

Den perfekta whiskyn till desserten. Grymt fin cask strength. Som en konjak i karaktären.

Happy New Year! The Nadurra is effervesecent and fizzy like a glass a champagne.

The oak really influences the nose which has a heavy dose of vanilla, banana, some citrus, all in a refreshing package.

The palate is like drinking a soda pop; fizzy and light. Flavor profile matches the nose with maybe some lemon coming out.

The finish has some vanilla and spice with a bite lingering and is medium long.

If there was no alcohol in this one I would give it to children in place of a soft drink.

Bought this for $45 during an after christmas sale. Normally $65 or so in Wisconsin. The wife told me i could open it only after we finished our other open bottles so... we had some friends over and finished the others up! Cracked this open last night to enjoy with a movie. This is our first cask strength scotch. Nose: VANILLA! Very prominent, but there seems to be a whole bakery in there. Like walking into a doghnut shop early in the morning. Sugar cookies, and a bit of alcohol. Not as strong alcohol smell as i expected for the abv. Sweetness of a fruit, maybe raspberry. I could nose this for hours, and, in fact, poured myself a second dram just for the smell. It lasts for a good long time.

Palate: Again, a lack of burn for the abv. Very easy to sip neat. Vanilla comes through, as does the cookie. The fruit gets a little stronger, but not as fruity as other Glenlivets like the 12 or 18. Honey. Not super complicated but much better than the 12 15 or 18 options. Very smooth but kind of numbing.

Finish: Numbs the tongue and roof of the mouth for quite a while after swallowing. Vanilla again in the sinuses. Fruit comes out most in the finish here. Medium long.

This is a sweet dram that has its place as a dessert or after dinner drink. For the sale price I found It would be a great weekly sip to add variety from the daily dram. My wife loves this scotch, and the fact that vanilla ties all three a aspects together is very niceas a balance. I love it. Iwill have to find the batch number and will add it later. It should be noted that other reviewers have noticed a difference in batches, so the number could be important if you are comparing your bottle to this review and find some discrepencies.

Thanks to @MarsViolet for the reviewed sample. Glenlivet 16 yo Nadurra is bottled at cask strength

Nose: strong penetrating sharp vanilla and citrus, with slight grape fruitiness and malt flavours underneath. There is some of the Glenlivet apple-like flavour present too. Rich and robust. Water makes the nose pleasantly floral

Taste: lots of citrus bundled with a bit of apple, more wine flavour than in the nose. There is significant alcohol, but it is not excessive, sampled neat, unless you are very sensitive to alcohol. Vanilla and malt serve as supporting cast in the mouth. Water attenuates the mouth flavours, but brings out additional sweetness

Finish: sharp dry fade to the sharp citrus. Very pointed flavours. I like it. With water added, a smidge of unattractive dry and bitter wood emerges

Balance: This is a very nice sample of Glenlivet Nadurra. The sweet and dry balance is very good, and the alcohol is not overpowering to experience. I have had other samples of Nadurra I didn't like as well. I expect that there might be great variability and lesser coherence in flavours when the Nadurra starts to oxidise. I prefer this without water

For me, this sample rates 88. I've had others that would be at 75. My advise: Drink your Nadurra fresh. It is much better before oxidation sets in

I'd been hearing about a certain cask strength Speyside bottling for months, Glenlivet 16 yr old Nadurra, for months before I finally got a chance to pick it up.

I'd been helping my wife out at the family business and as we were shopping for supplies for the store we passed one of the largest chain liquor stores in the area, Dan Murphy's, and since it had been months since I'd been into a bottleshop that wasn't mine or my sister stores, I asked her if she minded if we went looking.

Doing a wee bit of whisky porn if you will, more like whisky peeping tom. What is new? Anything interesting?

Nothing too special, nothing too exciting.

Except Auchentoshan Valinch, Glenlivet Nadurra and Aberlour Abunadh.

Three cask strength whiskies.

One that I'd had multiple times in many of it's versions, Aberlour Abunadh.

Two that I'd never tried before.

The Valinch and the Nadurra.

Both highly reviewed. Both in the same price range.

However my brother in law had recently tried the Auchentoshan Valinch and had expressed some disappointment in it so when my wife suggested we pick up a bottle, it was obvious I was going to grab the Nadurra.

I'm so excited when I pick up this bottle.

A new whisky!

A new cask strength whisky!!

God I can't wait!

I immediately start reading the bottle (yes I do this :P)

54.3% ABV, Bottled on 05/12 out of batch #0512T.

Hmmmm a different abv and batch number from reviews I'd seen before.

Oh well a new whisky to play with!

Even better it's non chill filtered and has no caramel coloring added!

Although to be fair I'm so anal retentive not many of my whiskies have either of those issues.

When my wife and I both get home that night we decide to crack the bottle open and try it!

We pour a dram into a glencairn that we'll share together and then immediately start nosing the whisky.

This review is based off of three different tastings, the one on this night, one with my brother and sister in law about a week later and one done today.

Lots of honey. Lots and lots of honey.

Actually too much honey.

It's a very sweet nose with some floral notes.

Eventually some light fruit notes along with some toffee notes appear, but this takes about two weeks for these notes to develop.

None of us are really impressed. This is the whisky that's getting rave reviews?

Actually it's disappointing. Boring.

Time for a taste.

Eeee gads the honey dominates everything!

Again the floral notes appear and there is a hint of fruit, but the honey kills all the flavors.

The finish is interesting. Intense and long with the oak shouting out with hazelnuts that is actually quite enjoyable and definitely the highlight of the whisky.

All in all, the four of us, my wife, my brother and sister in law and myself all come away more then a little disappointed in this batch.

This is definitely better then the entry level Glenlivet 12 yr old, but at more then twice the price it needs to be kicking more butt.

Mind you I've noticed some changes for the better as the bottle has been sitting open and slowly being drank, but nothing to the point that would make me buy another bottle.

Which is really quite disappointing for me as I had such high hopes for this whisky. I personally think that if I ever decide to pick up another bottle of Nadurra it's going to have to be from a batch that I've tried and loved, or a batch that I've heavily researched and have some idea of what I'm walking into to make sure that I'm disappointed.

Mind you the bottle has opened up a little bit over the last few weeks, originally when I picked up this whisky and tried it we would have given it a 74 or so, but it has slowly improved.

If the bottle opens up anymore in any significant way I'll rescore the whisky and update it.S Just off my own bottle of Nadurra which I picked up for $120 AUS I honestly would have picked up a bottle of Aberlour Abunadh for $105.

Give this one a shot if you've researched the batches, but walking in blind like me. I don't recommend it.

This is my first Glenlivet apart from a 1971 Berry Bros I tried last year, which was outstanding. It's nice to find a light and fresh, non-sherried Speysider and the colour of the Nadurra is testament to new American oak casks, a lovely barley gold.

The nose is white pepper and honeycomb and I would say better with a cap of water. Without it's a bit sharp and closed. With water.. very smooth vanilla-oak arrival with a floral, truffle-oil development, light melon, lemon, pear and ginger tones then kicks into a delayed and long, slightly bitter white chocolate and chili tingling of the palate. Definitely better with a cap of water and worth spending time with.

The longer I leave it I'm finding mint, parchment, wasabi and tobacco...

I started off with a Bushmills Black Bush and this Nadurra is a perfect contrast lovely developmental dram.

The Glenlivet Nadurra non-chill filtered at a 55.1% Natural Cask Strength is the reason why this journey of discovering single malts can be so rewarding.

The nose smacks full of juicy barley and green apples. The delivery on the palate is beautiful creamy honey topped with barley crumbles. The first sip takes your breath away while the second calms your nerves. There is a touch of oak but basically the dram is an arresting river of honeyed barley at exactly the right amount of alcohol strength.

This was our second bottle - fantastic. A medium bodied malt, light golden colour. It is non-chill filtered, so could get cloudy with water. Floral scents with grain and fruit, as if sitting on a barn floor. Sweet rich taste with malt, apricot and honey, and very smooth. Very Speyside. Much longer and warmer finish than with the standard Glenlivet. An excellent Scotch that you should buy before the bottles run out (as they aren't making it any more).

Nose: sharp, almost vinegary at first, with just a hint of tennis shoe. Given a chance to open up, oak, vanilla, citrus and cherries soon emerge.

Palate: thin, watery mouthfeel. Burns across the tongue, leaving a cinnamon-y dryness in its wake.

Finish: its peppery warmth slowly sneaks up on you, announces its presence, then fades away.

It's got a pretty complex, interesting nose, but the high alcohol content gives it a harsh, astringent character that is not for the faint of heart.

It's been a long day, I'm feeling a little lazy; so, just read the defining notes listed below. A strong, flavorful, and enticing malt.

Nose: Red apples coated with caramel, very malty, vanilla, pecan divinity (it's a nougat candy), lemon, coriander.

Taste: The pecan nougat is great! Sweet and nutty, apples, a bit of pepper and oak.

Finish: Herbal notes with a touch of vanilla and something different. Maybe peanuts? A good foundation of oak.

Considering my review of the Glenlivet 12 year old was somewhat controversial (I didn't like it at all really), I felt the need to review this very decent malt. It's fairly straight-forward, but is of good quality and makes for an very enjoyable dram.

Colour :Golden straw

Nose : Fragrant and vibrant, lots of vanilla, wood spice, and floral notes, on top of some honey and toasted oak and ripe bananas, from the 1st fill American oak casks used.

Palate: Viscous and oily on the tongue. Vanilla, Peppers, oak, and some fruits (peaches, apples) with a gingery edge.

Finish : Long and drying, with hints of Anise, bitter fruit pulps, and burnt sugar.

Bottom line:

a very enjoyable Glenlivet. The high ABV is a good start, and the flavours are well integrated, and quite spicy and racy. It’s not your everyday dram (for that you could go with the 12 year old), but sure is a well made dram.

The meaning of the word ‘Nadurra’ means natural in Gaelic , and basically here it means that it’s non chill filtered. There are 3 main expression in the Nadurra line : 16 year old , Triumph (named after a variety of barley that is no longer in use by the Glenlivet) , and Travel Retail (and reduced 48% ABV).

Colour :Golden straw

Nose : Fragrant and vibrant, lots of vanilla, wood spice, and floral notes, on top of some honey and toasted oak and ripe bananas, from the 1st fill American oak casks used.

Palate: Viscous and oily on the tongue. Vanilla, Peppers, oak, and some fruits (peaches, apples) with a gingery edge.

Finish : Long and drying, with hints of Anise, bitter fruit pulps, and burnt sugar.

Bottom line:

a very enjoyable Glenlivet. The high ABV is a good start, and the flavours are well integrated, and quite spicy and racy. It’s not your everyday dram (for that you could go with the 12 year old), but sure is a well made dram.

I cant finish this Glenlivet without a wee video featuring Tony Soprano. The coolest Gangster ever to show up on TV, doing his ‘you think i’m still the kid on the bus’ routine .

youtube.com/watch/…

The Nadurra is The Glenlivet's craft whisky offering. It is non-chill filtered, bottled at cask strength and created in smaller batches. This review is for Batch 0309H bottled in March 2009.

Nose: Red Apple, Floral, faint Nutmeg Spice, Ginger. Also a buttery woody smell that I can only describe as Raw Pie Dough. Together this really gave my mind the impression of an unbaked apple pie. Adding water made the floral note quite dominant. Very long legs.

Palate: Very dry! In a very good way. It is also powerful, but before it burns you it backs off and becomes pleasant and warming. Grape, an unidentified spice, Butter, and Ginger comes back again. The body envelopes the tongue. With water there is more ginger and spice, and much less grape It also destroys the unique dryness on the palate.

Finish: Medium length, and fairly light. Mostly Oak and spice. Pleasantly warming. With water there is a sense of diluted mint.

At full strength with small sips, this is an incredible and notable whisky. I almost always prefer cask strength bottlings with at least some water added. In this case, adding water does smooth it out and is still okay, but also significantly diminishes the experience.

The nose is rich, the palate powerful, and the finish is light in comparison. At first I was disappointed by the finish but by the end of the dram it had grown on me and I found it charming and quite refreshing. I don't really know what to compare it to as it is quite unlike anything else I've had. This is a great offering and is definitely one to be tried.

Time for a new review and I have chosen The Glenlivet sixteen year old Nadurra. This particular batch was 0606A and was bottled in June of 2006 at 57.2% ABV.

I have read many people try to compare this spirit with other cask strength offerings such as Aberlour A'bunadh. It would be easy to compare these two based on the simple principle that they are bottled full strength. I do not believe that this is fair. I do not believe they are similar and I will explain.

The nose of the Nadurra is very light and powerfully fruity. I felt like I had just opened the applesauce and planned on dipping Almonds and Pears in it. It was very pleasant and reminded me of those deserts that were served after a summer lunch.

The body is warm but not overwhelming. This is where the oak and smoke made a distant appearance. Maybe left over campfire.....The apples and pears are still very apparent and the fresh honey shows up toward the end.

The finish is the only area that was slightly disappointing. The finish was of medium length and displayed some spices that were distantly latin in flavor. The only real fault I give here is that it falls off quick and leaves the party too soon.

The reason I feel that the A'bunadh and the Nadurra are too disimilar to compare is that the Nadurra reminds me of summer, less complex but lighter and more fun. I could easily have this while boating in the sun. The A'bunadh to me is more complex and reflective. I would feel more at home drinking that particular dram in front of the fire when it's as cold as possible outside.

In the end it's up to everybody to decide. I have to add this alongside my favorite malts. Not in competition but alongside my other cask strength drams, with it's own time and place to be enjoyed............possibly next fishing or camping trip. I feel like going soon now.

The nose is very aromatic with a good balance of bright fruit and some wood. On the palate it is more of the same. The high alcohol content gives plenty of heat but without a burn (if that makes sense). It has a nice long aftertaste which reminds me of boiled peanuts.

I also tried, and preferred, adding a single small ice cube. This helped to reduce the alcohol down to about 50% but also gave an appealing warming/cooling effect at the same time. It also opened up the nose a bit so that I wasn't smelling so much alcohol.

Overall it is a great bottle and I am just sad that I finished it last night.

First impressions: The color is very golden, appealing. The legs... well, forget about legs. Very solid.

The nose comes across as very fruity and extremely potent. Almost a pear/banana aroma to it. A hint of wood.

Palate is very bold. Very strong. Almost harsh, but without offense. A momentary hint of danger, but it rolls right back around to a warm embrace of fruit and wood for the finish. A hot, burning sensation going down ensures a moment you won't soon forget.