Here’s an understatement: whisky is very much a global phenomenon these days. Be that as it may, certain areas of the world seem to get way more attention than others. Despite being a relatively small country, Taiwan has an extremely active whisky consumer market. From their own producers like Kavalan to imports of Scotch and other world whiskies, Taiwan is on every whisky maker’s map. There’s an entire treasure trove of releases that most of us will never even hear about because they’re produced for Taiwan only.
When I saw that there was a well-aged, fully sherry cask-matured Glenlivet exclusive to Taiwan, I was highly intrigued. Once I saw that a cask strength version followed soon after, I knew I had to get my hands on one. I can’t get enough heavily sherried Glenlivet and was really excited about full maturation in ex-Oloroso casks without the shortcut of PX cask influence.
This whisky was matured in sherry casks for at least 13 years before being bottled at 58.7% ABV. My bottle is long gone now but has sentimental value to me as it was the showstopper at my very last in-person whisky tasting before social gatherings came to a grinding halt in 2020.
Why do I always speak so highly of heavily sherried Glenlivet? Read on and I think you’ll understand.
| Category | Notes |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Old Oak |
| Nose | Rum raisin cake, toasted almond, Luxardo cherry syrup, a rather forward oak note for the age, clove, a touch of soy sauce, old leather, hot chocolate powder, prunes, hint of honey |
| Taste | Thick and oily, stewed apples and pears, cherry danish, toffee, hefty cinnamon, dried berries, Toaster Strudel icing, damson jam, vanilla, prunes, burnt sugar. |
| Finish | Oak and baking spice first, allspice, way less heat than expected, walnuts and hazelnuts, pinot noir. That winey, spice-driven profile is mouth watering and continues for a long while. |
| Overall Thoughts | At the risk of repeating myself for the 500th time, I need to say it again. Heavily sherried Glenlivet is an astoundingly tasty and oft overlooked combination in the world of single malt whisky. The Glenlivet fruit-based house style get turned up to another level with the addition of Oloroso sherry cask influence. I love that PX casks weren’t used for this release as I think it would have added an overwhelming element of sweetness. This is a luscious single malt that is the perfect way to end an evening with friends. Taiwan always gets all the good stuff. |
| Total Score | 95/100 |
