Distillery: Glenlivet
Region: Banffshire, Scotland
Aging: 21 Years and Finished in Oloroso Sherry casks, Troncais Oak Cognac Casks, and Colheita Village Port casks
ABV: 43%
Proof: 86
Price: $320
Appearance: Dark Cherry Amber
Glenlivet 21 Year Sample Room Tasting Notes
Nose: Sweet molasses, cherry, dried fruits, apricot, mango, strong port wine notes
Palate: Rich port wine and sherry flavors, candied nuts and dried fruits, pistachio, nutty spices
Finish: Long and smooth, rich dark fruit flavors, currant, similar to a red wine finish
Is Glenlivet 21 Year Sample Room Approachable?
This is not a whisky for beginners. The number of flavors in this whisky would likely go right over the head of a beginner. While smooth and easy to drink, reserve this bottle for your closest friends.
Is Glenlivet 21 Year Sample Room Complex?
Of all the Glenlivet bottles I have in my collection, this one is definitely the most complex. While I can’t quite determine whether I like the basic Glenlivet 21 Year Archive more than this bottle, this one is certainly more complex. It takes all the flavors of the 21 Year Archive and then marries it with the rich oloroso sherry, Troncais Oak Cognac, and Colheita vintage port flavors that transform this whisky into an extremely complex blend of whisky mashed with wine.
What are Glenlivet 21 Year Sample Room’s strongest attributes/flavors?
The oloroso sherry, Troncais Oak Cognac, and Colheita Vintage Port flavors are most certainly the strongest attribute of this Scotch whisky. The nutty flavors really stand out and create a unique experience with this bottle.
Is Glenlivet 21 Year Sample Room a go-to whisky?
This is a whisky that is reserved for special occasions and only shared with friends who will truly appreciate the level of complexity that comes from triple aging an already 21-year aged whisky.
Is Glenlivet 21 Year Sample Room priced accurately to its quality?
When it comes to purchasing a $300+ whisky, it starts to get difficult to determine exactly what is worth the price and what is not. From a complexity standpoint, yes… this bottle is worth the experience of tasting the wide range of flavors that come from aging a Glenlivet whisky for 21 years and then finishing that whisky in Oloroso Sherry casks, Troncais Oak Cognac Casks, and then Colheita Village Port casks. It really does add flavors from each of those casks and I can truly taste the additions each one adds.
But when it comes down to deciding which bottle of whisky I would buy with my $300, it becomes a bit more difficult. The standard Glenlivet 21 Year is less complex, but I may prefer the more balanced flavors present in that bottle.
If I had to choose only one Glenlivet bottle that I could buy for less than $400, I would probably go with the Glenlivet 21 Year Archive.
Both 21 Year bottles are exceptional, but my goal with these reviews is to steer you toward the bottle that will give you the best experience if you can only get one.
We have reviewed every bottle of the Glenlivet lineup of 11 bottles and compared exactly which bottles are best and which are worth the price tag. You can read our full comprehensive Glenlivet Review to decide which bottle you should buy.
I hope you enjoyed this tasting experience with me.
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Thanks for reading and cheers!
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