Our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai, like many tasting groups around the world, are lying low waiting out this COVID storm. However our connect remains strong and the bonus of going virtual is that I could even join one evening!
We each chose a preferred dram from home supplies to quaff together. What did I select? I was in the mood for something summery – a day-time dram in keeping with sipping on a sunny late afternoon in Europe. I also didn’t want to crack open a full bottle so turned my attention to my box of advent calendar minis.
My eye spied the Glenturret and thought – that looks about right! My last brush with Glenterret was the stunningly delicious 30 year from La Maison du Whisky‘s Artist range.
What did I discover?
Glenturret 14 year (2001) 54% (Highland Laird – Bartels Whisky)
- Colour – Bright golden
- Nose – Initially quite vegetal, lots of barley, hay, then shifted into delicious honey, strawberries, sweet spices…
- Palate – Wow! Light spice, cereals, a twist of citrus, becomes fruitier… is that apricot? Or peach? Delightful with just enough depth to keep interest up!
- Finish – Ginger sweet and fruit forward
- Water – Fabulous! Even better… delicious
It was distractingly good – right up my alley in terms of taste profile. Whilst not complex, it was sunshine in a glass. Slowly sipping it was like having a fabulous blend of breakfast and desert – cream, fruits, cereals with a drizzle of honey topped with fresh grated cinnamon and cloves…
What more do we know about this whisky? It was matured in a port pipes and sold under Bartels Whisky’s Highland Laird range – which is focused on bottling single casks at cask strength.
And what do the folks at Bartels Whisky have to say?
We bottled this Glenturret in 2017, it has always been one of our more unusual malts having been aged in an ex port pipe. The natural colour reflects this well. It has gone down really well at events and shows we have attended.
| Nose: | Cooking spices, sultanas, anise and a touch of damp wood. |
| Palate: | Oak spice shows off very well in this Glenturret, with black pepper, ginger and clove. Layers of orange keep it from getting far too spicy. A slight sweetness coming through from the port pipe. |
| Finish: | Drying and long. |
Now I will admit my math was a bit perplexed at a 14 year being maturing from 2011 and bottled in 2017, but what the heck! It is just a terrific dram no matter the age.
As for what it would set you back? Bartels Whisky have it listed as GBP 58 – which is a complete bargain!
Here are a few others I tried from my advent calendar minis:
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