The Glenlivet Nadurra 16 Year old & Nadurra Oloroso Single Malt Review

Ahhhh….The Glenlivet. 

This is a brand that ordinarily is not on my whisky radar, however it certainly is with millions of others consumers worldwide as it vies for top spot with Glenfiddich for the title of the best selling Single Malt Scotch in the world.

So why am I not so enamoured with the brand? One word: Integrity.

There is no doubt that in years gone past, like many of the scotch behemoths we know today, that The Glenlivet made and sold very good whisky. In fact I’m pretty sure that they still do make very good new make and very good mature whisky right up until they decide to bottle it. That’s where the integrity, or lack of it, comes in.

You see most Glenlivet is subject to the whisky world’s axis of evil which is being sold at 40% abv (80 proof), being subject to extensive chill filtering and being subject to the use of e150 caramel colouring. 

While I do believe that bottling say a blend at 40% maybe acceptable, we all want a gateway whisky after all, bottling a single malt that you’ve matured for at least 12 years before bottling at least deserves the respect of being bottled at 46% abv and from being the spared the ignominy of having a lot of it’s flavour compounds stripped out by chill filtration.

Regarding the use of e150 it’s something I think should be banned immediately. If bourbon can have rules that no extra colouring can be added to the spirit then I don’t see why Irish and Scotch whisky can’t follow suit.

As I’ve said typically Glenlivet’s are subject to these abuses but every now and again they release whisky that is naturally presented….the Nadurra range.

When this first came to market in the early 2000’s it presented the whisky at cask strength, non chill filtered and natural colour and with 16 year old age statements. In 2014 the range was expanded to offer the Oloroso and First Fill Bourbon variants but the age statements were dropped.

They were originally around £45/$60 per bottle for the 16 year olds rising to around £65/$80 for the non age statement versions.

So does offering the Glenlivet in a ‘natural’ setting improve the experience? There’s only one way to find out.

Let’s taste!

The Glenlivet Nadurra 16 Year old Batch 01/13V 56.9%

Bottled 01/13, full bourbon cask maturation. £25 price paid

Nose: An orchard attack! Peach, pear and ripe apples. Vanilla custard, honey, malt and digestive biscuit. Cinnamon, tangerines, nutmeg. Garden mint. Juicy fruit gum. Water brings cut white grapes, nougat and more vanilla.

Palate: Considering the abv and non chill filtration this does feel surprisingly thin. Peach schnapps, apples, apricots and pineapple juice. Then the biscuity malt followed by honey flapjacks. Clove and cinnamon and plenty of oak. Now some lychee along with white pepper and frangipane. Water brings icing sugar sweetness, more pineapple and apricots.

Finish: Medium with pepper, oak and orchard fruit.

Score: 7 out of 10

Overall: Glenlivet on steroids and presented how it should be. Even at full price it would have been a steal but at the price I paid it’s insane value. Well balanced between the nose and balance with the high alcohol well integrated so it’s never jarring. Very quaffable.

The Glenlivet Nadurra Oloroso Batch OL1015 60.3% abv

Bottled 10/15, 1st fill Oloroso maturation. £41 price paid.

Nose: The alcohol hits hard. This needs time and probably a lot of water. Floral, leafy greens with copper. Then subdued sherry notes come to the fore – raisin, almond, ground ginger, orange peel and oak shavings. A hint of rubber here too. Water brings frangipane, pastel de nata and milk chocolate.

Palate: Hot & spicy on arrival. Again not a lot of viscosity to this. After the alcohol it’s standard sherry fare – brown sugar sweetness, raisins, molasses, walnuts and damson. Citrus peel, pepper, clove and lots of oak tannins. Water makes things a little creamier, brings out chocolate and highlights the dark fruit more.

Finish: Short to medium with sherry sweetness, peppery heat and drying oak.

Score: 5 out of 10

Overall: An okay dram that really needs water, and quite a bit of, to be enjoyed. Better options are available such as Glendronach CS, Glenfarclas 105 or Benromach CS.

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