Mackillop’s Choice (distilled at Glenlivet) 1977

Once again Lorne Mackillop demonstrates his talent for selecting whiskies with beautiful balance. This time it’s with a well-aged Glenlivet. Sure, it shows many of the notes that I often find in Glenlivet (Speyside elegance, peachy vanilla, tropical fruit, floral and honeyed-malt notes), but I’m also picking up more subtle notes: dark chocolate, licorice root, dark fruit, perhaps even charcoal (especially on the finish), making the whisky a bit more complex and curiously attractive.