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This category is for whiskies that are aged in fresh oak or ex-bourbon barrels, which will still affect the flavour of the whisky, but not overpower the original malty and oaky flavours.
A few years ago, I went into a whisky shop looking for a whisky with “the original flavour”. The man I was speaking with looked at me like I’d asked if I could lay an egg in the middle of his shop, I still don’t understand why, single malt whisky is made from malted barley and aged in oak, so a whisky tasting predominantly of malt and oak would fit that bill, no? Anyway…
This was the whisky that I ended up with after the conversation mentioned above, so the man more than redeemed himself. This is an absolute beauty of a whisky.
If you like whisky I cannot see you not liking this. The strong malty notes are kept good company by deliciously sweet notes of fruit, honey and vanilla.
This is another corker of a dram. The Glenlivet is, in my opinion, one of the best distilleries in the world, and this particular offering is lovely.
Punching well above its weight class, this dram packs a serious amount of flavour, not only the malty and oaky notes, but a mixture of fruits, I taste both apple and lemon, some toffee and vanilla as well.
Another great classic malt is the Aberfeldy 12-year-old, its flavour profile is a sweet and delicious mix of honeyed fruits and vanilla. This one is a great “sipper”, smooth and easy to drink. The 16-year-old is better still, and better still than that is the 21-year-old, but they go up in price.
After trying the Glenlivet 12-year-old, if you like that, I’d strongly recommend the 15-year-old French Oak Reserve from Glenlivet. It’s a step up on what is already a great whisky, the French Oak Reserve is finished in French limousin oak, generally used for cognac, which gives it a spiced oak flavour, along with the malty notes, as well as a bit of fruit and nut.
