Review by: zSolaris

Distillery: Glenlivet.

Bottler: Decadent Drinks/WhiskySponge.

Region: Speyside.

Age: 14 Year. Distilled in 2007. Bottled in 2022.

ABV: 53.0%.

Cask Type: First fill sherry hogshead “from the warehouses of Signatory Vintage”.

Price: Sample courtesy of /u/_asipper.

Color: 1.5, Auburn/Polished Mahogany.

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Nose: Cherry is the major note that sticks out to me here. Wood varnish is the other note that stands out but that’s very weak in comparison to the cherry note.

Palate: It has the very oak forward, caramel, and cherry notes. It’s got a nice mouthfeel at 53% and drinkable. With a splash of water, the oak takes over even stronger. It tastes heavily of varnish and wood polish. A little more water brings out of the chocolate more with cherry and burnt caramel.

Finish: Medium in length. Chocolate and burnt caramel are the main notes with some Christmas spices to wrap things up.

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Conclusion: I’ve never had any of WhiskySponge’s picks before though I’ve heard nothing but good things. Unfortunately, this Glenlivet doesn’t seem to be a great pick from them. I had to do a double take, a triple take even. It smells and tastes very distinctly like a bourbon and nothing like what I would expect a first fill sherry cask Glenlivet would be like. Not particularly impressed here and it certainly isn’t worth the asking price it was at. Pleasant enough to drink, but if you want something to taste like bourbon, go drink a bourbon.

Final Score: 74.

Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.