It’s really hard to find BAD signatory bottlings, I’ve tasted quite a few, and you can be fairly sure that you’ve got a nice dram when you bought one. I’ve blogged about a few over the years, and drank others, and mostly loved them. A very good IB. So when I got 3 wee samples of exclusive Signatory bottling for the Whisky Exchange, I was quite thrilled. I decide to start with the oldest and the most interesting for me (having tasted a younger Signatory ‘Livet bottled for Whisky Brother and loved it – here). A 33 year old Glenlivet at Cask strength (and a sherry cask If I am not mistaken) is something to be tried ASAP, right?
I was not disappointed, to say the least.
This baby was distilled 5/8/1981 and bottled 9/4/2015 From a refill Sherry Hogshead, yielding only 175 bottles.
Glenlivet 1981 , 33 yo [Signatory] , Exclusive for TWE , 51% , £185 (175 btl)
Nose: Oh my. Delicious old wood. Perfumed you might say. Deep and sweet with exotic fruit goodness: pineapple, ripe mango and peach. Touch of blood orange. Musty dunnage warehouses. Balsamic and rich thick golden syrup. Absolutely marvelous.
Palate: a peppery exotic experience. Getting lovely dried fruit here with more sherry. Old wood and spices. Sultana , pears and stewed apricots. Dried fruit compote and chocolate fudge. More wood. Yummy wood. Oh man. This ‘Livet rocks!
Finish: pepper. Sultana and old sherry wood. Earthier. Long.
Bottom line:
This is a brilliant bottling of Glenlivet. It’s just my kind of dram, rich, sweet, with enough wood, lots of exotic fruit and that “old aged whisky” feeling to it, I love. Superb. Get yourself a bottle, It may not be cheap, but it’s worth it.
Score: 92/100
official sample provided by TWE.
(Image will replaced with a real one soon, this is not the actual bottle…)