Scotch Whisky Review #488: The Singleton of Glendullan 14 Year Diageo Special Release 2023 “The Silken Gown”

Distillery: Glendullan.

Region: Speyside.

Age: 14 Years.

ABV: 55.0%.

Cask Type: Chardonnay de Bourgogne French Oak Finish.

Color: 0.7, Amber.

This is the 16th installment of this years’ Christmas Countdown. You can check out previous editions as well (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022).

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Nose: My first reaction to this was that this was rather milky/creamy. It’s a bit sharp, reminding me more of Milkis (Korean milk soda) than milk itself. That note doesn’t come up much after the first few moments, though it does show up here and again. Other notes include some grass, apples, honey, and apricots.

Palate: The mouthfeel here is a surprisingly dense. At full bore it is drinkable, though it does feel like it needs some loosening up. Apricots and gummy peach rings are the major notes that come to mind. There is also something a bit earthy and dark, almost as if it is lurking behind the brighter fruit notes. Adding water and the mouthfeel transitions to being more milky than dense. The apricot and gummy peach ring notes really take the reigns here and are very dominant. The earthy and dark note brightens up a bit and becomes something that reminds me of fancy fig and olive crackers.

Finish: Medium to long in length. A bit of oak spice, some more of those gummy peach rings, and mineral water wrap things up.

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Conclusion: I’ve pretty much panned every Glendullan I’ve had and often use the distillery as the butt of many jokes. /u/federalagents pinned this one as a sleeper in this year’s Diageo Special Release lineup and I have to say, I think he might just be right. From start to finish, this one is a lot of fun. The Milkis note is so memorable on the nose, even if it isn’t the most dominant note. On the palate, those gummy peach ring and fancy fig crackers notes are a delicious combination, so much so I might try the real deal together before too long. The mouthfeel both before and after adding water is a ton of fun. The finish is clean and leaves you ready to jump in for another sip. Overall, pretty darn good and to quote /u/the_muskox, “everything French oak touches turns to gold.”

Rating: 84.

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Scotch Whisky Review #488, Speyside Review #174, Whisky Network Review #652

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.