Glentauchers 1989 Cadenhead - Small Batch 25yo

This is from the ‘Small Batch’ release from Oct ’14 if I remember correctly. I had never tried a Glentauchers before, but am far more likely to go out on a limb and try a smaller distillery if it is bottled by my favorite indie specialist, W.M Cadenhead.

The colour is quite a deep amber, darker than most ex-Bourbon cask Scotches I’ve come across. No chil-fill nonsense or caramel with Cadenhead’s though (how could they!)

Nose: Mango, stewed blackberries and something along the lines of warm rhubarb pie. Oily (tea tree oil perhaps?)

Palate: Lots of forest fruits, with hints of vanilla. Mainly sweet but not overly so, more a spicy sweetness - cinnamon. Quite thick… those 25 years in Bourbon barrels really seem to have given it nice body.

Finish: Medium long… candied ginger, , with saltwater taffy. Hint of traditional English marmalade – the bitter, less sugary kind. The sweetness from the palate makes way for a dryer, more mature ending. Very satisfying.

Aye, this be yum! It's classy stuff - if you want something a bit different (mature ex-Bourbon Scotch with the emphasis on red fruit) then I highly recommend it.

It flew a bit under the radar amoungst the other high profile Cadenhead releases that have come out in the past half-year (their Littlemill & Old Pulteney bottlings stole the show and all the review spaces), and there are still quite a few left out there. I’ve had it two month and it’s already half full (or is that half empty..?)

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