Glenlivet 11 Year Old 2007 Signatory ‘Italian Car Series’

When Jan Vissers selects a cask, you can buy blind. As soon as Jan announced that he had bottled a first fill sherry hogshead of Glenlivet 2007 from the stables of Signatory – at a whopping 67.0% ABV no less – I immediately ordered two bottles. These will be enjoyed for a long time to come! He bottled this Glenlivet is his ‘Italian Car Series’ – with magnificent labels – in which he had previously released a Bowmore 10, Speyside 21 and Glen Scotia 10 Year Old. The colour of this Glenlivet makes me eager indeed.

The nose is wonderfully dark and sweet, but with a twist. Allow me to explain. Dark: figs, dades, blueberries, plums, caramel, candied sugar, chocolate, hazelnut. Twist: camphor, eucalyptus, saddlebag, cinnamon, cloves, parsley and… cola candy! And you know what? You’ll be sniffing this for a full fifteen minutes before putting the glass to your lips. It is absolutely gorgeous.

The high ABV makes for a very piquant, even scorching arrival. But wait before adding water! Let your saliva glands do their job. Then you’ll be rewarded with dark and sweet notes like on the nose, joined by a herbal spiciness. Yes, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper and cardamom easily wrap themselves around cherries, blood oranges, dades, figs and even a lost banana. Espresso? Wonderfully warming and with a mild bitterness towards the end.

The finish is very long, drying, warm but above all delicious.

While 110 EUR for a teenager is not cheap in my book, this is one Glenlivet you simply do not want to miss. So good! And with 67% ABV you do get quite a bit of bang for your buck. Water? Nah, just sip it at your leisure.

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