Here is the first of two Glen Ord 15s bottled by the Whisky Agency under their Liquid Sun label. This is a year older than the one I reviewed last month. I really liked the classic Ord mix of fruit and austere notes that one presented. Will this be as good? Let’s see.

Glen Ord 15, 1997 (49.9%; Liquid Sun; bourbon hogshead; from a bottle split)

Nose: Bright fruit (apples, lemon, pear) mixed in with musky malt and some bready/yeasty notes. Very Glen Ord, in other words. With time that malty note moves a bit in the direction of putty. Water pulls out more of the malt and the smoke from the palate shows up here too now (a sooty, waxy outline around the malt).

Palate: Pretty much as promised by the nose but is that some smoke as I swallow? Very nice texture and a good drinking strength. Similar development here as on the nose; some pepper too and then some bitter lime zest. Let’s see what water does. Water pushes the bitterness back a bit and pulls out some citronella.

Finish: Medium-long. Some oak pops out here but otherwise it’s mostly malty as it goes. With time the oak gets just a bit bitter. Salty at the end. Water pushes the oak back a bit but the lime zest expands.

Comments: Very nice ex-bourbon Glen Ord if not quite as good as last month’s 14 yo. More cerebral than sensual. Neat, I liked the nose a lot—just got a bit too bitter on the palate and finish. Water mellowed it out on the palate but I liked the nose better neat.

Rating: 85 points.