Boutique-y Whisky Advent Calendar 2020 - Door No.7
Bottle Name: Glentauchers Batch 8
Distillery: Glentauchers
Bottler: That Boutique-y Whisky Company
Region: Speyside Age: 21
Reputation waxes and wanes. Whilst some brands seem perennially popular (e.g. Macallan), others have purple patches of production or periods where the product development team hit the nail directly on the head and produce expressions which sing to the needs of the market. Other distilleries (e.g. Brora, Port Ellen etc) only find true fame in death - moving into the spotlight once their inventory is but a permanently shrinking concern. And then there’s everyone else. Riding the waves of production, blending demands and varying consumer trends.
Glentauchers is certainly a distillery I’d categorise in that ‘other’. Whilst the last 10 years have seen somewhere in the region of 500 Tauchers IBs produced, prior to 2010 the distillate was much more obscure and bottlings were an infrequency.
Of course, ten years ago the whisky world was a very difference place and there was simply no need to be mass bottling uncommon/under-appreciated distilleries in a single malt form. But times change, and whilst much of Glentauchers’ output is still destined to form the heart of Ballantine’s (and prior to that of Buchanan’s Black & White), there is now enough nascent demand in the market to support a steadily increasing number of bottlings – though interestingly, no real uptick in official releases. Yet.
There are now corners of the fandom who have some time for this less well known (but on the rise) distillate – myself included. Long fermentations and slow distillation regimes – produce a spirit which, despite being lighter and more fruity/floral in focus can still play nicely in a wider variety of cask types and at a wide selection of ages. The spirit often shines at its brightest when its simply left alone for a few decades in an ex-bourbon cask – and that’s exactly what we have on offer today.
Boutique-y’s eighth batch of Glentauchers is a release of 803 bottles. Matured in ex-bourbon for 21 years and delivered at 47.1% ABV these will set you back £99.95 from Master of Malt.
Nose: Vibrant fruitiness with honeydew melon, kiwi and mango juice livened further by lacquered oak panelling. Candied orange peels and marmalade develop alongside touches of beeswax and honeycomb. Running throughout – vanilla cream piped choux buns and cacao nibs. The addition of water presents biscuits crumbs and buttered toast alongside sunflower oil.
Taste: Opening with a syrupy fruit-forward arrival of well-defined tinned peaches, sliced melon and sugar-dusted apples. A squeeze of lime juice provides both sourness and tartness, whilst caramel wafers and polished oak tables sit with prominent peppery cask spice. Dilution expresses sourer fruits with sweetness giving way to milky coffee and gentle earthiness from mushroom.
Finish: Medium to long in length with fading sweet and sour fruits, persistent pepperiness and iron filings.
Boutique-y’s eighth batch from Glentauchers ably highlights the aspects that make this distillate both versatile and quite lovely at higher ages. A pronounced fruit complement and well-polished oakiness are balanced against a perky, but not overwrought cask influence and result in a vivacious but at all time discernibly Tauchers profile. Except under the influence of water – where there’s an interesting translation – particularly to the palate. It’s unexpected. And it works.
For an alternative dissection – pop over to OCD Whisky to find out what Sorren thought.
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