There’s been a fair bit of peat and sherry in my whisky reviews this month. And so it’s only fitting that I close out the month, and start the next, with a complete lack of peat and sherry. This week’s reviews will all be of bourbon cask whiskies. All were bottled by Cadenhead, all from bourbon hogsheads. First up, a 14 yo Glenburgie.

Glenburgie 14, 2004 (53.6%; Cadenhead; bourbon hogshead; from a bottle split)

Nose: Bright fruity notes off the top (lemon, apple, pear) with some toasted oak and some icing sugar. On the second sniff the fruit is already muskier and there’s some plum and nectarine in there too. Continues in this general vein with the oak getting a little pricklier with time. With more time there’s some cereals as well. With a few drops of water there’s quite a bit of malt and some pastry crust (with baked apples behind).

Palate: Comes in with richer fruit, polished oak and a lovely oily texture. Quite approachable at full strength. The citrus amplifies as it sits and after a while there’s a fair bit of lemon zest and oil. With time there’s some malt as well. Okay, let’s see what water does for it. It pulls out more of the lemon oil at first and then there’s more of the orchard fruit

Finish: Long. The citrus leads in the early going and then the oak has the last word (not tannic). Less oak with water and sweeter at first before getting bitter at the end.

Comments: A very classic bourbon cask Speyside profile, with a mix of fruit and oak and malt. No fireworks of any kind: just good, solid malt whisky. I liked the nose with water but preferred it neat on the palate and finish.

Rating: 85 points.