Review 164: Glentauchers 1992-2013 Berry's

This is my first time reviewing (or tasting for that matter) a whisky from the Glentauchers distillery in Speyside. This bottling is 20 years old and is unchillfiltered, uncolored, and at full cask strength. I'd say that's the proper presentation for my first taste of this distillery!

Glentauchers 1992-2013 Berry's

Color: Amber -1

ABV: 51.5%

Aroma Neat:
Bananas, Lemony Malt/Grist, Canned Pears, White Peaches, Cornmeal, Haribo Gummy Bears (pineapple), Simple Syrup, Dry White Wine (lots of minerality), Rose Water, Lightest Honey/Pollen, Coconut, Fresh Vanilla Pods.

A lively and refreshing nose with lots of fruit (I'd guess from the spirit itself, minus the coconut) and malt. Really enjoyable on a hot evening. The maltiness changes to a smooth, even-keeled sweetness with time in the glass.

Aroma Water:
Floral Honey, Limoncello (lemon, simple syrup), White Wine (mineralic, chalky), Mashed Bananas, Toasted Coconut, Sweet Malty Wort (slightly), Marshmallow Root, Fruit Salad: Canned Pears/Peaches (in light corn syrup), Pineapple Gummy Bears.

More of a fruit salad than neat. Nice!

Taste Neat:
Sharp Malt, Hay, Mineral White Wine, Green Oak (freshly tannic), Coconut, Dry White Rum, Pineapple Juice/Syrup (slightly), Gummy Bears, Dry Malt, Clean Char/Faint Smoke.

Vivacious for a 20 year old! Crisp on the tongue and tasting of freshly hewn oak. An interesting struggle takes place between the sweet and dry notes.

Taste Water:
Tart Lemon (even some lime!), Light Honey/Simple Syrup, Fresh Green Oak, Clean Wood Smoke/Char, Minerality, Vanilla, Pink Grapefruit,

I thought of barrel-aged Fresca at one point. Still youthful for it's age, but I'd say in a good way.

Finish:
Mineralic/Chalk, Celery (slightly vegetal), Sulfur/Earthy (like Mortlach), Dry Malt (bitter), Toasted Oak, Vanilla Marshmallows, Lemon Pith (some lime), White Rum Agricole/Sugar Cane (all dryly), Cooked Apples.

Nice balance of spirit and wood, in my opinion. A bit of sulfury notes come forth, but based on the flavor profile of this whisky I think that it's from an ex-bourbon cask, so sulfur pollution is unlikely. In fact, it's got the earthy/mushroomy sort of sulfur that Mortlach tends to. That is from the distillation process though, not tainted casks. I think that's what's going on here. Oh, medium duration.

Conclusion:
Fresh nose with alternating dry malt and sweet fruit notes.

Greenly tannic and mineral palate that gets very fruity with the addition of water.

A dash of sulfur in the otherwise dry/bitter finish.

Rating: 87/100

This probably wouldn't be everyone's favorite. There is too much dryness and bitterness for mass appeal. Those notes, however, in conjunction with the sweet fruity notes (which there are plenty of) makes for a very interesting whisky. I like it a lot!

Josh