Glenlivet

OWNER: CHIVAS BROTHERS/PERNOD RICARD
FOUNDED: 1823
REGION: SPEYSIDE
PRONUNCIATION: Glen-LIV-it

George Smith, the bootlegger and founder of Glenlivet, was one of the first distillers to apply for a license under the reforms of 1823. His neighbors despised the government and anyone who worked with it, and told him as much; for protection, he carried two loaded pistols wherever he went. Smith had the last laugh: By the mid-1800s, Glenlivet was world famous, and Smith was rich. Sir Walter Scott wrote, in Saint Ronan’s Well, that Glenlivet was “worth all the wines of France for flavor, and more cordial to the system besides.” Distilleries miles away from it were using its name on their labels; wags joked that the valley of Glenlivet was the longest glen in Scotland. In 1881 Smith’s grandson George Grant Smith sued to block the use of Glenlivet’s name by rivals; the court enforced a compromise that allowed distilleries to use the name as long as they appended it to their own—for example, Aberlour-Glenlivet. The practice only died out a few decades ago. Today Glenlivet is the best-selling single malt in the United States, and it’s neck-and-neck with Glenfiddich for the global title.

Glenlivet

12 Years of Age

Arguably the most popular single malt in the world, the 12 Year Old Glenlivet is aged in a mix of European oak casks and ex-bourbon American oak casks.

PRICE $ · RATING
AGE 12 years old
ALC/VOL 40%
NOSE Apple candy, honey, flower blossoms, varnish, grass, lemon zest, roasted hazelnuts; water makes it zestier and more floral.
PALATE A thin mouthfeel that offers all the Speyside favorites—orange zest, honey, vanilla, tropical fruits, and a bit of heat at the mid-palate; it’s less sweet with a few drops of water. The finish is long, bitter, and zesty.
GENERAL It’s easy to see why this one’s so popular—it has all the crowd-pleasing Speyside notes. It’s balanced and delicate but not terribly complex—perfect for an everyday dram, especially for the price.

Glenlivet

Founder’s Reserve

Created in honor of Glenlivet’s founder, George Smith, it’s a non-age-statement expression aged in first-fill and reused bourbon barrels. Not to be confused with a 2010 release, also called Founder’s Reserve, and at a much higher price point.

PRICE $ · RATING
AGE No age statement
ALC/VOL 40%
NOSE Green apple candy, cinnamon candy, honey, root beer, cherry soda, vanilla; it falls apart with even a few drops of water.
PALATE Very sweet up front, a bit cakey even, then it morphs into apples, taffy, Cel-Ray soda, cinnamon, and coffee, which continues through the finish, alongside leather.
GENERAL A solid but unmemorable whisky. The nose is promising, but it doesn’t deliver in taste.

Glenlivet

15 Years of Age

The 12 Year Old, but then aged for an extra three years in virgin French Limousin oak casks.

PRICE $$ · RATING
AGE 15 years old
ALC/VOL 40%
NOSE White chocolate, soft oak, grape jam, Play-Doh, green apples, almonds, cooked fruit; do not add water.
PALATE Coffee, cough drops, cherry candy, cream, chocolate; water elicits sweet malt and a bit more spice, which dribbles, with bitter chocolate, into the brief finish.
GENERAL A decent dram, though the body is much too thin to enjoy its positive notes.

Glenlivet

Nàdurra Peated

Like Glenrothes Peated Cask Reserve (and a similar release from Balvenie, awhile back), this expression wasn’t made with peated malt; rather, it was aged for an undisclosed number of years in ex-bourbon barrels and finished, also for an unspecified period of time, in casks that had previously held peated whisky.

PRICE $$ · RATING
AGE No age statement
ALC/VOL 61.5%
NOSE Ginger, orange, old wood, iodine, bananas, apples, and a clear peat note; water tames down the peat and elicits a creamy vanilla.
PALATE Bananas, pears, peat smoke, almonds, and vanilla cream; water doesn’t do much, despite the high proof. The dry finish has habanero pepper and banana, with an ashy undertone.
GENERAL A clear but restrained smokiness, and a daring extension for Glenlivet. Fairly smooth for a cask-strength whisky, too.

Glenlivet

Nàdurra Oloroso

Aged, for an unspecified period of time, in first-fill oloroso sherry casks.

PRICE $$ · RATING
AGE No age statement
ALC/VOL 60.3%
NOSE Raisins, linseed oil, lightly roasted peanuts, rancio, prunes, butter, and chocolate; water underlines the butteriness.
PALATE A thick mouthfeel, with raisins, orange cream, cinnamon sugar, and a warming sherry bass line; water brings out ginger and coconut. The slightly dry finish continues the ginger spice note.
GENERAL A deliciously big whisky—a bit too far on the dry side, especially at the end, but still a lot of fun.

Glenlivet

Nàdurra First Fill

As the name implies, it’s aged exclusively in first-fill casks, in this case ex-bourbon.

PRICE $$ · RATING
AGE No age statement
ALC/VOL 59.8%
NOSE Ripe bananas, vanilla, oak, crème brûlée, apples, soap, marzipan; water mutes the bananas and brings out oak and nuts.
PALATE Oak, roasted almonds, banana candy, vanilla extract, and a bit of solvent at the mid-palate; water shows rich caramel, coconut, and cooked bananas. The finish is nutty and spicy, with a long finish of banana candy.
GENERAL If you like banana candy, you’ll love this. It needs water to balance out the nose and palate.

Glenlivet

18 Years of Age

Drawn from an array of barrels, including first- and second-fill ex-bourbon casks and ex-sherry casks.

PRICE $$$ · RATING
AGE 18 years old
ALC/VOL 43%
NOSE Orange zest, lilacs, concord grape jelly, maple syrup, tropical fruit, pine, honey tea, vanilla; water amplifies the vanilla and grape juiciness, and adds a toasted note.
PALATE A thin mouthfeel, with vanilla, plums, honey, and a ginger mid-palate; with water you’ll find white raisins and a soft red-wine note. The finish is quick, with fruit, nut, and vanilla notes.
GENERAL What a Speyside should be—rich, elegant, and delicate. It’s like a cross between a scotch and a bourbon. Think of it for a lighter after-dinner dram.

Glenlivet