Another second for Michiel Wigman, this time a Glentauchers. The previous one was a younger port cask, and this time it has a few more years, and a different maturation. Personally, I accept that there are tremendous Port casks available for a lot of distilleries, but I always find them a bit risky without having tasted them, or have read some reviews of reviewers that I know align in preference and taste.

Not so with sherry casks. There’s a huge variety of sherry casks and I tend to be quite tolerant to a bit of sulfur in a whisky. Also, the style of sherry cask that more or less takes over the entire whisky is hugely popular but doesn’t sit too well with me. As in, I like to be able to actually recognize some qualities of whisky in it.

Glentauchers seems to be a whisky that is quite readily available to bottlers, and has a huge range of different styles. It might be a whisky that simply highlights the cask it was bottled in, or one that changes a lot when maturing. Anyway, it’s a bit like a box of chocolates…

Sniff:
A very heavy, and rather funky nose. There is dry, moldy fruit with leather and shoe polish. “Fluffy” dates, so to say. Quite gentle, but incredibly heavy as well. Some baking spices in the background. It fits Glentauchers. Later on, I get a surprise hit of baked apples too.

Sip:
The palate is quite gentle, with a more traditional flavor profile. Dried fruit and baking spices. Some black pepper, cloves and some cinnamon. It’s very interesting how this is a 52% whisky and has virtually no heat or burn at all.

Swallow:
The finish is a bit warmer, with a slightly more dry, barley focused flavor. Rather long, and there’s a lingering flavor that I somehow recognize as slightly too moldy French cheese.

There’s a funky sharpness, that works really well in cheeses, but not so much in fruit. However, as a dram it’s rather enjoyable and is well balanced between distillate and cask, nature and nurture so to say. Well picked by Michiel, and still available at Dutch Whisky Connection

88/100