Adelphi Glenborrodale Blended Scotch batch 2

It is winter again in Toronto. Not sure what happened to Spring, Summer and Fall. Perfect day to just stay in and do a few whisky reviews. By a few, I mean one, because I’m sure my wife will find things for me to do at home, and I will soon be preparing a warm winter’s meal which will make the house very fragrant and make reviewing impossible.

I received this bottle in December as a secret Santa gift. If you know almost nothing about whisky and you want to give a whisky geek a gift, that’s really not a bad choice. It would never have been on my radar. We opened it February 17 at a small gathering of like-minded Connosrs and significant others.

Adelphi has put out several batches of this blended malt. The notes I’ve read online is that this particular bottling started 14 years prior when they put some Highland Park, Bunnahabhain, Tamdhu and Glenrothes together into some sherry butts. The result was “reinforced” with some 8 YO Glenrothes from a sherry cask. Hmm. Old whisky being supported by some young whisky? Makes me wonder. Let’s let the whisky speak for itself.

The bottle was about half full, gassed after each use (I have only opened it a few times but I made a few samples). This expression is reviewed in my usual manner, allowing it to settle after which I take my nosing and tasting notes, followed by the addition of a few drops of water, waiting, then nosing and tasting. I used the Highland whisky glass for this review.

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Nose: 22/25

Fruity, medium and low pitch fruits dominate. Sweet and syrupy. Very rich nose. The sherry is quite prominent. Something vegetal and savoury. After a few minutes a hint of ethanol peeks through. No real smoke or peat. No difference with water.

Taste: 21.5

Quite rich for 46%. More so than I remember my first pour 2 months ago. It’s sweet (maybe too sweet), there’s a significant hit of peat. Some cherry, especially on the development. Slightly peppery, and a little rough in the development. Water thins the palate, no significant change in flavour. (21/25)

Finish:21/25

Long. Very astringent and ashy on the finish. Some pepper. That roughness stays to the end. Water makes it smoother and shortens the finish.

Balance:21.5/25

The nose and the palate seem to complement each other. I think that maybe it’s a little too sweet on the palate.

Score: Neat - 86/100 With Water: 85.5/100

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It bears noting that I found this to taste quite a bit “younger” the first time I tried it. Since opening (even though it was gassed) it seems to have become a bit more “mature”.

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This is not a bad whisky. It’s enjoyable but I think for me its best purpose in my cabinet is to share with curious Scotch-lovers who haven’t tried it. I have heavyweights that give me peat when I want peat, sherry when I want sherry, and peat and sherry together, and they all to it a little better than this one.

I really wonder what was going on when they added 8 YO Scotch to a 14 YO blend. Was there something “off” that needed fixing? Was it flat? How much does the 14 YO blend contribute to the final product? I will probably never know the answers to these questions.

I’m thankful to my Secret Santa for giving me the opportunity to try (and enjoy) something I would otherwise never have known about.