I grew up with a dad who enjoyed whisky. His favourite drams were Dimple and Chivas Regal. This shaped the way I enjoyed whisky and early on, I gravitated to blended whisky too. One day, a friend poured me a Glenlivet 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky and it blew me away. The smooth complex flavours just knocked my socks off. I still hold the Glenlivet 12 year old close to my heart.
The Glenlivet distillery is a Speyside distillery in Moray, Scotland. The distillery draws water from Josie’s Well and other springs a short distance from the distillery. George Smith was the first distiller to legally distil whisky in the Speyside region.
He took the brave step of applying for a license following the Excise Act of 1823, much to the unhappiness of his neighbours. He established The Glenlivet on a farm distillery called Upper Drummin in 1824. Glenlivet became so synonymous with quality that more and more distillers started using the name.
To help keep the brand, George Smith’s son, John Gordon Smith, applied for sole rights to the name. In 1884, this was granted. The distillery is owned by Chivas Brothers, themselves a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. The Glenlivet is the world’s second best-selling single malt and it is one of the top sellers in the US.
The Glenlivet 12 year old Scotch is matured in a mixture of American and European Oak. Much to my horror, I noted that The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve will replace The Glenlivet 12 year old in mature malt markets, including the UK from 2015.
Related Article: Glenfiddich 12 yo Whisky
Glenlivet 12 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review
REGION: Speyside
ABV: 43%
COLOUR: Light golden wheat
NOSE: Sweet with tropical fruits, vanilla and cereals. There are hints of spice and grassy notes floating in the background. The nose is light and fresh.
PALATE: Without water, there are lots of fruits, cinnamon and nutmeg that mix with the oak and barley notes. It is not as sweet as you would expect after the promises of the sweet nose.
Adding a few drops of water smooths the spices and more apple, honey and summer fruit appear. Water allows the Glenlivet 12 year old to show its’ full complexity. Regardless, it is rich and creamy and delicious.
FINISH: Medium length and end in lots of fresh fruit, nuts and hints of lemon.
RATING: EXCELLENT
Certainly, a perfectly fruity dram to usher in Spring with. We have also tried both the Glenlivet 18 year old and the Glenlivet 15 year old bottled by Signatory for Whisky Brother shop and rated both these expressions as Excellent.
As part of my comparative series, I have done a comparison between the Glenfiddich 12 year old and the Glenlivet 12 year old single malt whisky to see who they compare when you have them side by side. In South Africa, the Glenlivet 12 year old single malt retails for around R 500 and in India for about ₹ 5,656.
I am sure the Founders Reserve is not a bad whisky, but it is not my beloved 12 year old. I will have to stockpile an extra bottle just to make sure I don’t run out too soon.
Food pairings
The Glenlivet 12 year old will pair wonderfully with cheese. I have tried it with a goats cheese flavoured with Italian herbs and it was a creamy dream. It will also work very well with salmon sashimi and delicate seafood such as seared scallops or prawns. Even some smoked duck will bring out amazing things in this Speyside release.
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