Glenburgie 9 Year (2014), SMWS 71.108
“European Vacation” (aka “Orange Blossoms and Pink Peppercorns”)
1st fill bourbon cask producing 180 bottles
61.7%
Nose: Hot and zesty, but sweet. Creamy lemon, limoncello. Sugar cookies, frosting. A bit of vanilla. Took a while for the notes in the nose to come out and become interesting. Much more impressed with the palate initially.
Palate: Burst of pepper and sweetness. Very sweet frosting. Limoncello, pineapple. Juicy.
Finish: Really smooth transition from the palate. The heat, sweetness, and subtle fresh and zesty fruits just mingle and waft away. Creamy and juicy, spiced a touch.
Score: 3.5/5
Mental Image: Zest of 3D Summer.
This really reminded me of a Dornoch I own, but without the mechanical and oily notes. This was clean and crisp, which pushed and pulled with some serious heat and juiciness. I liked it a lot, but lacked a touch of complexity (perhaps a 4th dimension) and that push and pull was not all that composed — a bit of multiple personality disorder that was in some ways good and others deterring from the experience.
First time trying a Glenburgie, which I was eager to do. The sweetness and fruit I think showed some of the possibilities of this distillery, which I’m hopeful to try more of.