Glenlivet 24yo 1974/1999 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#5131): lemon meringue, citrus custard, and grapefruit zest in melted fudge. A Bourbon cask? Without the shadow of a doubt, really! Deeper nosing reveals a further wood influence -- virgin-oak barrels (Quercus alba, it goes without saying), baked pineapple, and a spoonful of coconut milk. To a lesser extent, it has canary-melon skins too, though the yellow comes out more than the melon, if that makes sense. There is also a whisper of blue paint squirting out of a silver tube. Indeed, it turns more paint-like with time (I hesitate to use the word 'chemical'), even suggesting ashes. The second nose has fruit yoghurt and tinned pineapple slices. Mouth: a bold, acidic attack, it blends the woody notes from the nose with brio: grapefruit, pineapple, but also a bitterer, spicier version of white wood. Swirling the liquid around the tongue does put the emphasis on said bitterness, and we end up with lime zest and unripe green-pomelo peels. It remains spicy too, with a dusting of ginger powder and a pinch of asa foetida. The second sip seems even more bitter, in an unripe-fruit fashion. Maybe we see cucumber peel in a glass of gin & tonic? Finish: it is still firmly woody, yet back in more-welcoming territories, with gingery citrus custard, squashed pineapple, augmented with ginger powder and milled white pepper, and cubes of unripe Galia melon. This finish is of medium length, and becomes softer and sweeter with each sip. The marked bitterness from the mouth makes room for a fizzy feel, akin to that of lemonade. I am, of course, reminded of flying saucers filled with citric powder. Tip-top. Reading back my notes from the first time, they are surprisingly very different. 8/10
Glenlivet 24yo 1976/2001 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#5527): although the affiliation cannot be ignored, the differences are just as noticeable. We have similar notes of citrus custard, yet, here, it is sprayed with a delicious caramel drizzle; we have wood influence, but it is expressed with chocolate, this time. In other words: it is older, darker wood, with the occasional lichen patch growing on it. It certainly exhibits grapefruit too -- now riper, juicier green grapefruit, combava, or pomelo. Yes, the whole is warmer and more welcoming. Instead of tinned pineapple, it is baked pineapple, finished under the grill. The second nose adds an unexpected lick of strawberry jelly on a warm slice of soft bread. Further nosing hints at a vaguely-muddy side, a picture of a farm path after a downpour. Mouth: a bitter-acidic attack, in which the acidity balances the bitterness more convincingly than in C#5131. Here are roasted pomelo segments, grilled grapefruit, pan-fried lime slices, all topped with grated fresh ginger. Excellent! The second sip shows a thin texture, closer to citrus juice (no pulp) than to any dairy product, a feeling amplified by the growing acidity. Unripe fruits have been properly replaced by ripe one, here. Finish: the citric parade continues, with pomelo, grapefruit and lime expertly dishing out the right levels of acidity and bitterness. It is a bolder, longer finish than C#5131's, and it seems considerably sweeter. It is in no way sickly sweet! That simply means the bitterness and the acidity of the citrus fruits are considerably toned down. There is a gentle reminiscence of a fruity-dry white wine, towards the death -- Chablis, probably. The second sip pushes the fruity acidity the exotic way, and, if it is subtle and fleeting, we see glimpses of maracuja. Win. Again, amusing to see how different I found this, the first time. Perhaps evolution in the sample? 9/10
Glenlivet 26yo 1968/1995 (52.1%, Signatory Vintage selected by, bottled for and imported by Whyte & Whyte for The Spirits Library, Barrel, 95/137): here is one that has spent as much time in the glass as it did in the cask; the other two were close, but this is precisely at that point. Nose: a barrage of wood! Math teachers tend to have wooden shapes in their classrooms (cubes, spheres, pyramids, tetrahedrons, etc.) to illustrate geometry lessons -- at least, when tOMoH was in school, they did. Well, this smells like those shapes. Behind that, and once more, the family traits are plain to see: grapefruit (broiled, this time), citrus-y custard, a dash of caramel drizzle, and wood staves -- funnily enough, not as white as in C#5131, yet less dark-chocolate-y than in C#5527. And then we have old terracotta vases that have seen no water for months, in which the bunches of flowers have dried up, and that are thick with a crust of dust. From all that steadily rises an assertive-not-boisterous aroma of pomelo. The second nose announces more bitterness, perhaps some hazel leaves, lichen on staves, and combava peels, but also a pinch of dust. Sawdust? Hard to tell. Mouth: the most balanced attack today, it shines the metal that sometimes comes with horsepower (it is stronger than the previous two, after all), and unleashes a deluge of fruits. Roasted pineapple, baked baked grapefruit, broiled combava and limes... It is only when shaking it in the mouth that this shows some bitterness too, as if a plateful of baked-citrus peels had been found in the oven, long after the citrus flesh had been consumed. The second sip feels more acidic, clearly pointing at lime and less-ripe pomelo, but also spicier -- white pepper, asa foetida, and mango powder. The texture is perhaps a little thicker than that of the previous two drams, yet not really thick all the same. Citrus juice, still, made with a mix of ripe and unripe fruits. Finish: long and wide. Grapefruit and (slightly-unripe) pineapple are not a surprise, by now. In their tow are gently-bitter lime peels, steamed cucumber peels, and a growing layer of sawdust. That sawdust shapes up to become ginger powder and custard powder with subsequent sips, which also adds a spicy sweetness that very much rocks my boat. It could even be a brand of citrus-y fudge, dusted with ginger powder, or balsawood sawdust. In any case, it is amazing. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)
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