Distillery: The Glenlivet
Proof: 96
Age: N/A
Mashbill: Single Malt
BACKGROUND: The Glenlivet Distillery opened in 1824 by George Smith, the first man legally allowed to distil in his country, in the valley of the Livet river. Glenlivet’s secret comes from the pure water sourced from Josie's Well. The Enigma is the third of the clandestine releases, coming after Alpha, Cipher, & Code, coming in a blacked out bottle with virtually no information on the bottle. Alan Winchester, master distiller, does this to give the scotch drinkers their own blank canvas to explore the whiskey themselves.
NOSE: The nose is a bit dull, coming in with light notes of lemon, peach, heavy ethanol, and baked green apples. The overall aroma also brings a smokiness that is quite enjoyable. (21/25)
PALATE: Whatever the nose was missing, the palate immediately makes up for it. An absolute flavor blast of toasted almond, marshmallow, vanilla, lemon and tea. As the bright flavors dance around your palate a light smoky spice plays hide and seek around your tongue. (34/40)
FINISH: Long and bold, the smokiness of the palate immediately becomes strong and stronger as the sweets distance themselves. Along with the smoky spice, hints of creme brulee, cinnamon, and marzipan coat your tongue with an intense spice on your tongue. (23/25)
VALUE: For $100 this bottle is worth every penny. From start to finish this bottle is an absolute rollercoaster of heat, spice, and sweets. (7/10)
Overall: 85/100
FINAL THOUGHTS: Only good things to be said about this bottle, sleek design, fun mysterious background, and absolutely delicious flavor range, if you're a single malt drinker and get the opportunity, pull the trigger.
Slightly Better Whiskey: Johnny Walker Blue
Equal Whiskey: Macallan 18
Slightly Worse Whiskey: Glenfiddich 12
Tell us what you think and give us some feedback!
Scoring Legend:
96-100: The perfect dram, juice of the gods
90-95: Near perfect, truly incredible whiskey
85-89: Amazing whiskey, will always try to keep a backup bottle of this
80-84: Very good, some minor flaws here or there
75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink, Will try and keep a bottle on the shelf
70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get this
60-69: Decent, would offer this up to non whiskey drinkers
50-59: Not my cup of tea
Below 50: Give away
