Glenlivet 2003 16 Year The Distillery Reserve Collection (Cask #87042)

The third expression we sampled during our distillery tour at The Glenlivet was another single cask collection, this time a 16-year-old fully matured in a first-fill sherry butt, bottled at an impressively strong 62.1% ABV. A genuine cask strength. On the nose, it begins with a red fruit syrup caramel. Hazelnut and a powerful acetone note, which was anticipated at such a high ABV. Freshly squeezed lime juice, very citrusy. An aroma of humidity and leather. After a few sips, the aroma shifted to banana notes and cherry brigadeiro sweets. The palate is wonderfully sweet, with chocolate and an intense oloroso sherry character. Orange and a tongue-scorching pepper. The finish has notes of cherry syrup, pepper, and salt. Everything tingles in your throat. Overall, this is a bit too spicy and potent due to the ABV to be truly elegant, which is something one might expect after exceptional 12 and 14-year-old Single Casks from the same tasting event. That being said, it is still a superb dram with complex flavors and aromas that linger for a very long time. My score for this special single malt is 93 out of 100.

I poured in a liter of liquid.