New Release: Glenlivet 18 Year Old Official Single Cask Edition 'Inverblye' #30777

Recent official limited releases have been truly exceptional. Glenlivet GLENLIVET 18yo OB SINGLE CASK EDITION 'Inverblye' #30777 50.8% bottled in 2015 The aroma is elegant, with ripe oranges, subtle pear and peach notes, vanilla, a pleasant malty character, and an excellent oak finish. On the palate, it surprises with a remarkably smooth mouthfeel, mirroring the aromatic fruitiness, refined sweetness and acidity, savory malty undertones, rich oak, and a pleasant lingering finish. [Very Good] This official Glenlivet bottling is a limited single cask release named 'Inverblye.' Just as with the Japanese-exclusive 'Nebby,' I believe that naming each cask individually reflects the distillery's confidence in its uniqueness. Indeed, all previous limited casks have been exceptional. This 'Inverblye' is likely a bourbon cask, and it was possible to pair it with the next featured sherry cask 'Ladderfoot.' The aroma exhibits nuances typical of recent high-quality bourbon casks, with subtle hints of stone fruits like nectarines and peaches that suggest aging. Upon tasting, it offers a surprisingly smooth entry for an 18-year-old bottling, with the same aged fruitiness experienced in the aroma. The refined balance of sweetness and acidity, along with a clear malty umami character without any harshness, is impressive. Despite being a single cask release, it already demonstrates remarkable quality, with a well-balanced interplay of fruity sweetness and acidity alongside the malty umami. Most notably, its exceptional oak character stands out—both in aroma and flavor, it carries a refined, oil-like nuance reminiscent of wood. While the exact specifications remain unclear, I suspect some form of innovation (such as sun-drying mechanisms) contributed to achieving this quality oak character without bitterness. I recall being similarly surprised by the oak profile when first tasting Nadura, but this feels even more refined. Reflecting further, I believe many of the bourbon casks in this series have similarly captivating oak characteristics. Although details on distribution remain uncertain, it occasionally appears for sale through exchanges, so I'll continue keeping an eye on this series.