Adelphi Glenlossie 15yo 2011 Cask #35430 & Adelphi Somerset Apple Brandy 16yo 2010 Cask #55

Adelphi Glenlossie 15yo 2011 Cask #35430

Region: Speyside

ABV: 59.7%

Price: £85.95

Distilled at Glenlossie in 2011 and bottled by Adelphi in 2026 after 15 years, this single-cask Speyside malt was matured entirely in a first fill bourbon barrel. Outturn of 228 bottles. 

Nose

The nose has warm butter, chlorine and just a hint of alcohol spice, though it’s well integrated. There’s also lemon and lime juice, brown bread, honey, apricots and peaches. It’s pleasant, but a a touch simple.

Palate

The palate is more exciting. It’s a good, clean bourbon cask, with orange peel, vanilla extract, caramel, lemon juice and grapefruit. These are joined by a hint of cracked black pepper spice on the medium length finish. Going back, we also find icing sugar and milk chocolate. The mouthfeel is good. This is textbook first-fill bourbon maturation in the best way: not too challenging, but thoroughly enjoyable. It’s exactly what everyone should be striving for.

Nose (with water)

Water has diminished the chemical note but brought out a touch more alcohol. It’s sweeter now, though all of the pre dilution notes are still present, just varying slightly in intensity.

Palate (with water)

The palate is now a touch too synthetically sweet for us, while the mouthfeel has held up well, becoming slightly syrupy. The finish is also unchanged. Those icing sugar and caramel notes are really overpowering the fruit notes from the pre-dilution palate.

Conclusion

We really enjoyed the palate on this one and could easily see ourselves getting through a bottle far quicker than we should. Technically, it’s not the greatest dram in the world, as the nose lets it down a touch, but it’s certainly very drinkable.

Score: 7/10

Value

A few pounds cheaper would have been nice, but then Adelphi is usually a touch more expensive but then they also usually deliver on quality.

Adelphi Somerset Apple Brandy 16yo 2010 Cask #55

Region: England

ABV: 55.0%

Price: £109.95

Distilled by the Somerset Cider Brandy Company on the 1st January 2010 and bottled by Adelphi on the 1st January 2026 after 16 years of maturation. Matured in an apple ice wine cask with an outturn of 345 bottles. 

Nose

The nose is initially a touch tight, but there are notes of melted butter, cloves and apple pie, with the alcohol showing through slightly as peppery spice. Going back after a little air, there’s also pine, cumin, aniseed, apricots, sour apple cubes, green grapes and chocolate.

Palate

The palate opens with cinnamon, cloves and sour apple, reminiscent of apple strudel. It’s very similar to the nose, with that cinnamon spice returning on the medium length finish. The mouthfeel is good, with a touch of oiliness. Going back, we also notice brown sugar and a touch of honey.

Nose (with water)

With dilution, the nose is really giving us strudel vibes, alongside white sugar, caramel and a hint of genever. That alcohol spice is now better balanced. Overall the nose isn’t wildly different.

Palate (with water)

Water is really bringing out the sour apples now, along with sour cherries. The mouthfeel has held up well. There’s now a hint of coffee bitterness coming through, joined by burnt brown sugar on the medium length finish.

Conclusion

We’ll give this a score, but also be the first to admit apple brandy is far from our thing. An interesting and fun release by Adelphi that we are glad to have tried, but don’t feel the need to purchase a bottle.

Score: 6/10

Value

Given the rarity of a single cask apple brandy we’re not going to complain about the price.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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