Blogpost: Water of Life - Glenlivet

Posted by T • August 30, 2020

Posted by T • August 30, 2020

Water of Life - Glenlivet

 

When it comes to my peers and whiskies, many like their “Glens” and adjectives like “sm00000th” are often used in combination with sliding hand gestures which seem to indicate that the drinking experience does not provide complications. I got my favourites in that section as well, however, when visiting a well-stocked hoochery, it is not necessarily the first or second port of call.

Then again “Glens” are a great dependable go-to when traveling to neither regions where bar selections look a bit bare in the whisky department.

Glenlivet is a Speyside distillery that has been on my radar for the longest time and starting with their 15-Year-Old was a great entry point as it is placed on both the affordable and more easily available spectrum of things.

Having aged in French Oak reserve, the nose is grapefruity, honeyed sweet and is shadowed by an interesting melange of darker shades comprised of chewy resinous wood and marzipan with a well-balanced acidity.

On the top of the mouth, things get interesting in the most velvety manner, with a sweet balance of warming winter time spices, i.e. cinnamon, cloves make an appearance on a solid foundation of chocolate and caramel, which is punctured by delicate bitter cherry and nutty highlights. The medium well-balanced finish accentuates floral notes mixed with white pepper, which make it reverberate nicely.

Great value for money and a very enjoyable mellow Speyside dram, which could be lifted by having a bit more of an ABV kick.

Now, enter the non-chill filtered cask strength Nàdurra range of the Glenlivet. Given its characteristics it is not wondrous that the Gaelic name is a telling one as it means “natural”.

Oh, what a glorious drop, whose subtle peatyness is derived from the final stretch of its barrel maturation being completed and rounded off with a stint in oak that previously housed peaty heavy hitters.

In essence, you get everything that makes a great Glenlivet here, yet with additional layers that add depth and dimension in terms of richness.

Bottled at cask strength, this non-age statement drop is a Glenlivet on 11, however, what tickled the nostrils is not overwhelmingly spirity. It has a bouquet that makes my hair stand up on the back of my neck as it is at times slightly reminiscent of a Laphroaig Select in terms of iodineness and martime peatyness mixed with tangy, nutted barley and coconut nuances. Enter saliva as it evokes a Pavlovian reaction.

Creamy on the palate, there are notes that could be found with the 15-Year-Old but again there is much more character in terms of robust flavours like raw peat, pears, cocoa, toasted almost and acidic pineapple emerging.

The elongated creamy finish is a tour de force meandering between chocolatey territory, citrus, peat with just the most subtle of lingering smoke.

The Nàdurra is by no means comparable to an Islay whisky, however, it never set out to be and is instead a stunning, complex feast of flavours that reigns supreme in its own league and is a real pleasure to drink.

T • August 30, 2020

More recent blogposts

Murder City Devils/Animal Self @ GHCH 7/12/25

Posted by Aaron H • July 17, 2025

Murder City Devils - Credit: AMH The Murder City Devils don't get out much anymore, so when the opportunity presented itself, I made my way down to Pomona to catch one of the 2 shows they had lined up in California. They brought along Animal Self, which features Kareem Karam and Coady Willis from Murder City Devils as well as … Read more

Daryl Gussin - A Year In Submission

Posted by Jiffy Marx • July 16, 2025

Can't say my review of it will be as well written or entertaining as this book of 50 poems by Daryl Gussin. Daryl is the managing editor of Razorcake. Daryl was in an awesome punk band called God Equals Genocide. Daryl is my friend but also possibly my spirit animal. Part of me wonders if the leather jacket that Daryl … Read more

Tripping Daisy North American Tour 2025

Posted by Mirela Z. • July 13, 2025

Tripping Daisy @ Lee's Palace Toronto, Canada July 11, 2025 Tripping Daisy brought us back to 1995 and sounded better than ever! When the crowd sings along 30 years later there’s no better feeling! Read more

Death from Above 1979

Posted by Mirela Z. • July 6, 2025

Death from Above 1979 @ SummerStage New York, USA July 2, 2025 "The boundary pushing Death From Above 1979 originated from Toronto with the uncompromising one-two punch of 2002’s fuzz-bomb EP Heads Up and 2004’s epochal debut album You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine. The band has made numerous appearances on the Billboard charts as well as on TV performing … Read more

Sum 41 @ Scotiabank Arena

Posted by Mirela Z. • June 19, 2025

Sum 41 final shows - day 1 of 2 Scotiabank Arena Toronto Canada Jan. 28, 2025 All photos by @front.row.fans   Read more

Play/Search/Repeat - May 2025

Posted by Loren • May 27, 2025

It's been a while since I put another playlist up. I actually had this 99% done a couple of months ago, but everything went haywire and the list went on hold. This edition of Search/Play/Repeat is a quick play, running about 30 minutes in total. Enjoy! Read more

Visual Learner / BlackDots / City Mouse

Posted by Loren • May 14, 2025

Visual Learner, BlackDots, City Mouse, Couch Potato Massacre Cloudland Theater Minneapolis, MN May 7, 2025 I’m embarrassed that I haven’t covered any shows at Cloudland for SPB previously. It’s a relatively new addition to the Minneapolis scene and a welcome addition that feels as much like a community space as a club. In other words, it’s clean instead of dingy, … Read more

HORSE the Band @ The Glass House 4/26/25

Posted by Aaron H • May 2, 2025

HORSE the Band - Credit: AMH HORSE the Band are on the road celebrating the 20th anniversary of their sophomore album, The Mechanical Hand. Joining them for the first leg of the tour was Pomona locals, Othiel, Flake from Wichita, Kansas, and LA's "melodic crust" quartet, Lagrimas. It's an odd feeling to remember being at the record release show for … Read more

The Linda Lindas/BYOP/Chicano Mosh @ GHCH 4/1/25

Posted by Aaron H • April 5, 2025

The Linda Lindas - Credit: AMH After spending the Summer playing stadiums opening for Green Day and The Rolling Stones, The Linda Lindas are out on the road supporting their new album, No Obligation. For their first major headlining tour since releasing their sophomore album last Fall, the young punk quartet brought along Garage-Punk veterans, Be Your Own Pet for … Read more

PJ Harvey @ Sydney Opera House Forecourt

Posted by T • March 14, 2025

PJ Harvey Sydney Opera House Forecourt 13 March 2025 Sydney, Australia photo courtesy of Daniel Boud and the Sydney Opera House.Caption Some artists perform. PJ Harvey transmutes. Like a figure walking between worlds, she never lingers too long in one place, never allows herself to fossilize into nostalgia. Instead, she reinvents - without ever severing the thread that binds her … Read more