Travel Exclusive

For those that wander, there is always something exciting and new in the world of whisky. Travel Retail (read, Duty Free stores) exclusive bottlings have become the new hot ticket. Almost every distillery is now offering some form of travel retail exclusive, and the chaps at Glenlivet are definitely doing it right.While on a recent cruise in the Caribbean, I picked up a 1 liter bottle of The Glenlivet Master Distiller's Reserve. This bottle is amazing, rich and full-bodied with tons of mouth feel and a very pleasant finish. It starts with a robust nose of peach, apricot and warm toffee, then develops in the palate with plenty of oak and a gentle nip of apricots, figs and dried nuts. The finish is exceptionally long and leaves the drinker with a warm sunset of oak and light smoke.

As is becoming all too common, this is a No-Age Statement whisky...meaning we really have no idea how long the spirits used in it have spent inside of a barrel. But here there is no hint of young whisky, the combination of European oak butts, first-fill American barrels and refill hoggies certainly works in favor of a memorable dram. If you can find it, it's well worth the effort to pack a bottle back through customs!