Glentauchers 8 | Whisky Lady

Double trouble or twice charmed? In the case of Chorlton‘s La Nouvelle Vague April 2023 releases, spoiler alert! Both this Glentauchers 8 year and the Glentauchers 14 year were marvelous – in different ways.

Glentauchers 8 year (2023) 61.2% 291 Bottles

Nose – Oh yum! Sticky toffee pudding, jammy, a voluminous dessert, small tight berries packed with tart and sweet, joined by pineapple, then buttery chocolate eclairs, apple sauce with cinnamon
Palate – Very full and robust! Dark plum skins, so intoxicating and delicious, rich chocolate cream, then black forrest cake, then juicy ripe berries – especially the delightful red currents we get in Germany, incredibly satisfying… is that a wee bit of nut butter or hazelnut cream? Mixed in with loads of sweet spices
Finish – Long, strong, and rewarding… even a bit savoury rather then back to sweet towards the end
Water – If it is even possible, fruitier?1 Like a candy shop from red licorice to gumdrops to candied orange peel

Overall we found this lively and colourful… practically addictive in its exuberance. There is no subtle shyness here…. this 8 year is proud to flaunt its sherry influences! There is a quixotic charm, and though it is on the edge of being overwhelming, it is simply too good to resist.

I tasted it over two evenings – the first which was a friendly evening February – there was little doubt this was the “hit” of the evening. However the next time around, my companions preferred the gentler and more genteel qualities of the Glentauchers 14 year. Both are frankly fabulous – just in different ways.

From Chorlton, we have the following description and tasting notes:

Next up we have an 8-year-old Glentauchers matured in a first-fill sherry hogshead*. Another sherried Glentauchers, you say? Well, yes, as this one’s such a fun contrast.

The nose starts with chocolate cream, hazelnut nougat, butterscotch and overripe banana, then heads in a distinctly savoury direction with veg stock cubes, dried mushrooms, parsley stalks and OK Sauce. Little hints of old tool shed, liquorice, and coal tar. It’s big and boisterous, and very changeable as it breathes or when water is added (prunes, kejap manis and cocoa powder in that case, since you ask).

The palate has a thick texture, starting on chocolate cornflake cakes, fudge and café crème then developing on a mix of jammy red fruits (redcurrant jelly? cherry jam?) and umami-ness (walnuts, bouquet garnis, BBQ meat, sesame paste). With water it’s softer, with banana wine, Cadbury’s Mini Rolls, chocolate orange and ginger.

Where the 14yo is elegant and collected, the 8yo is lairy and talkative. You do still get that sense of fruity Glentauchers spirit at the heart though. This cask produced 291 bottles at 61.2% and they are available for £59.50 each.

* – just for full transparency: this cask sprung a leak and had to be housed for a short time before bottling in a refill hogshead.

I purchased this from WhiskyBase for a mark-up to open in Nurnberg one fine evening in February 2024.

Here are a few more from La Nouvelle Vague series:

Ardmore 12 year (2022) 60.7% – An absolute stunner. Rich, indulgent, sweet, and peat gloriously combined.
Bunnahabhain 18 year 53.4% – Such a chameleon! Must take your time with this dram – absolutely fantastic with its quirky character
Bunnahabhain / Staoisha 8 year (2021) 59.9% – Buttery banana bread with campfire ash
Croftnegea (Loch Lomond) 13 year 53.9% – Delightful with such a contrast between the aromas and palate, quite dynamic on the nose and subtle yet lovely on the palate
Glen Elgin 12 year 56.6% – Deceptive with a nose promising sweetness and light with a surprisingly peppery palate!
Glentauchers 14 year (2023) 61.6% – Classically styled, an elegant fruit compot
Mannochmore 12 year 58.7% – A delightful summery dram.
Mannochmore 13 year 59% – More than a summer dram, it has an intense palate to contrast with the intoxicating nose
Orkney 15 year 57.1% – Outstanding! A kaleidoscope of aromas, then a richly complex palate and stellar finish
Orkney (Highland Park) 22 year 53.4% – Prompted quite different reactions in different contexts – from big and full to curiously shy, a lot is going on with this one
Tormore 28 year 42.4% – Another summer dram by the seaside with rare yet rewarding mineral and nutty elements joining a fruit basket
Tullibardine 29 year 47.5% – A delightful combination of indulgent desserts with elements of much greater substance