Singleton of Glendullan 19 Year (2021 Special Release)

Tasting of Diageo Special Releases 2021 at The Oak Barrel in Sydney on June 22, 2022. Whisky #3 Nose: Fruit compote, bread with walnuts, spicy ginger cookies, apple pastry, a type of seed oil (like rapeseed or sunflower?), citrus zest, marzipan, and cognac notes (see comments below). Adding water brings out maple syrup and sultana, but the aroma quickly loses depth. Palate: A wonderfully sweet, balanced, and rich initial taste with syrupy peach and apricot pieces. As it develops, notes of sweet hay, caramel, toffee, and vanilla appear. With water, there's candied ginger, sweet dark beer, and curry spices, but like the nose, water quickly simplifies the palate. The texture is oily and chewy when neat, but has a neutral mouthfeel with water. Finish: Moderate. Nutty, sweet vanilla. There's a distinct cognac character in this whisky, though it's hard to identify precisely. You might detect it on one sniff or sip, but it vanishes on the next. It doesn't precisely mimic the aroma or taste of cognac but is strongly suggestive of it. Before learning about the cask treatment, I initially suspected a white port or moscatel finish. It felt heavy and wine-like, not light and floral. Once I discovered it was cognac, the elements seemed to align and make sense. A very fine whisky when undiluted – almost perfect on the initial taste – but definitely not suited for adding water. The alcohol is well-managed, and everything functions harmoniously at cask strength. Even a few drops of water initiate its decline, and a teaspoon turns the entire profile bland and common. This is a decent spirit, but it lacks resilience, unable to even keep afloat, much less swim. However, it was the first whisky from the lineup I considered purchasing, and if nothing superior had appeared later, I likely would have bought a bottle. That didn't happen, though 😉. Several people selected this as their favorite whisky of the evening, and I observed today that the store is sold out, indicating its clear popularity. “Good”: 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Remarkable! It's both sweet and intense. A bit too much alcohol, which a few drops of water significantly improved, in my opinion, greatly enhancing the tasting experience. An endlessly evolving finish and a feeling of warmth. Fantastic!

Despite the great reviews, I'm very let down by this whiskey. It's spicy, not oily, and not smooth. I anticipated more for the cost.

The alcohol hits strongly at first. The initial taste is sweet. There's spiciness in the middle. The end retains a cognac aroma as a finish.