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The Glenlivet Carribean Reserve

Not that sweet, or tropical.

4 1074

@MegawattReview by @Megawatt

24th May 2021

0

The Glenlivet Carribean Reserve
  • Nose
    20
  • Taste
    19
  • Finish
    17
  • Balance
    18
  • Overall
    74

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Distribution of ratings for this: user

  • Brand: The Glenlivet
  • ABV: 40%

Nose: mild and malty. A little coconut, and something vaguely pungent. A few drops of water are needed to open this up, revealing some creamy vanilla and sweet pineapple.

Taste: medium with some light spices up front. Not very sweet, especially compared to the producer's tasting notes and the online reviews I've seen. I'm not finding any specific fruit flavours here; it's almost as if the malt and rum sweetness have cancelled each other out. With the whisky being 80 proof, water can only do so much.

Finish: a little too bitter for my liking.

Balance: while not as weak as the anemic Founder's Reserve, it also lacks FR's charm in the aroma and palate entry. What's missing here is any real development. Maybe rum-finished whiskies are just not my thing.

10 comments

@RianC
RianC commented

@Megawatt - have you tried the Balvenie 14 rum cask? I found it a little sweet for my tastes but very quaffable. It would make a good summer whisky actually ...

I am yet to try any Glenlivet but will soon open a 12 Illicit Still. I'm looking forward to it.

Cheers!

3 years ago 1Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@Megawatt @RianC With the greatest respect, the only Glenlivet worth opening your wallet for is, the now sadly defunct, Nadurra 16. The rest might help unclog your wife’s hair from the bathroom sink, but even then Draino might be a better choice. Just my humble opinion of course.

3 years ago 1Who liked this?

@OdysseusUnbound
OdysseusUnbound commented

I don’t think people like the folks who frequent this site are Glenlivet’s target market. I’ll gladly accept a glass of Glenlivet if it’s offered, but like many other brands, there are other things at every Glenlivet price point I like better. Thanks for the review. I wasn’t going to purchase a bottle of this and your words confirm my choice.

3 years ago 1Who liked this?

@RianC
RianC commented

@BlueNote - The new 'limited release' 12 Illicit Still has had excellent reviews across the board hence why I took the gamble. Nothing from their usual range gets me excited apart from perhaps the 18 but they reduced it to 40% for some reason ...

3 years ago 1Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@RianC Yeah, I guess I was a little hard on them. They do have an excellent visitor centre. I saw the 18 on a pretty good sale price a while ago, almost $40 off the usual price, but I passed when I saw it had been downgraded to 40%. I don't know why the hell they do that.

3 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Megawatt
Megawatt commented

Lesson learned. I quite like the cognac-finished Captain’s Reserve and the 12 year old but this one tastes like the spirit is lacking in quality, or was perhaps bottles too young. I’m kicking myself for not buying Tomatin 12 instead.

3 years ago 2Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@Megawatt The Tomatin 12 is getting a lot of good reviews lately. Among my whisky friends it's a distillery that's getting a lot of love these days.

3 years ago 1Who liked this?

@OdysseusUnbound
OdysseusUnbound commented

@BlueNote I’ve been impressed with everything I’ve tried from Tomatin, save perhaps their 15 Year from the older style of bottles. They’re honest malts at fair prices.

3 years ago 0

@Megawatt
Megawatt commented

I will say that this whisky is better on the rocks. It is marketed as a summer drink and when served over lots of ice it loses its bitter edge but retains the malty sweetness. So on a patio during a warm summer night this just might be the ticket. Must experiment further.

3 years ago 0

@Megawatt
Megawatt commented

@RianC

I've had the 14 year old Balvenie and I loved it, but I don't know how much that had to do with the rum casks as opposed to the quality of the spirit.

I like Glenlivet, have had some really good ones, but these NAS versions coming out are pretty hit and miss.

3 years ago 0