Glenlivet 9 Years Old 2006 The Un-Chillfiltered Collection

By Barry Bradford on July 25, 2018 • ( Leave a comment )

Glenlivet 9 Years Old 2006 Signatory UCF (46%, Signatory, 1st Fill Sherry Butt #901043, 2016)

Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky
Origin: The Glenlivet distillery
Bottling: Signatory, The Un-Chillfiltered Collection
ABV: 46%
Cost: £44.71

What they say

9 year old single malt from the ever-dependable Glenlivet distillery, drawn from a single first fill Sherry butt! Said Sherry butt was filled in October 2006 and cracked open in August 2016 by Signatory, with the whisky bottled for the Un-Chillfiltered Collection. An neat chance to see some youthful though well-Sherried single malt from Glenlivet.

MOM tasting notes:

Nose: Caramelised dates and brioche with chocolate chips. A hint of sandalwood.
Palate: Fragrant malt shines through from the core, supported by sultanas and waxy orange.
Finish: A lingering warmth of black pepper and cinnamon. A touch of sharp oak.

What I say

A rather young Glenlivet matured in a 1st fill sherry butt and at a sensible price for this reasonably infrequently Independently bottled distillery. This one piqued the curiosity of our good friend Whisky Rover, who shared a sample with us. I guess the chance to try something from the eponymous Glenlivet distillery that wasn’t a. an official bottling and b. too tinkered with, i.e. single cask, un-chillfiltered (as the collection name indicates) though reduced to a still weighty 46% ABV.

My tasting notes:

Appearance: Amber gold (8/20). Slow, medium-sized, oily tears leave finer legs.
Nose: Juicy red fruits, raisins, cherries, red grapes, some leather and tannin, oak wood, slightly dry and dusty on the nose like sun-baked or sun-dried oak staves, malty and biscuity cereals, a little gristy – like the mill room in a distillery.
Taste: Fruity, sherry vinegar, raisins, malt, quite sharp/acidic fruits, berries, quite feisty with a sherbet fizz and a little spirity, oak wood, darker red grapes and blackberries, reminded me of a tannic and oaky red wine, cocoa powder and ground black pepper. Reduced with water this was sweeter with honey, and fresher fruits, strawberries, vanilla, milk chocolate and chilli pepper spice.
Finish: Long, malty and fruity sherry.

Overall

Flavour-filled and quite malty as you would expect from a relatively young expression matured in an active 1st fill butt. I actually found this still a little too spirity and feisty at 46% but it takes water well and revealed a delicious milk chocolate note under all the dried fruit and tannins.