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Scotch Whisky Review: The Glenlivet 18 Year Old

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Scotch Whisky Review: The Glenlivet 18 Year Old

Name: Scotch Whisky Review: The Glenlivet 18 Year Old
Item: Scotch Whisky Review: The Glenlivet 18 Year Old
Rating: 8
Author: Phil Dwyer

A jewel in the crown of The Glenlivet range, The Glenlivet 18 Year Old is matured in a combination of first and second fill ex-bourbon casks, along with some ex-sherry casks, too.

by Phil Dwyer
March 30, 2025

Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer, YouTuber, and former manager of The Whisky Shop Manchester, UK.

Tasting Notes:

About:

A jewel in the crown of The Glenlivet range and a single malt that is matured in a combination of first and second fill ex-bourbon casks, along with some ex-sherry casks, too. This is a bottle that we all aim to try at some point in our whisky journeys as it has always had appeal and assumed flavour that we think we would love, most of the time that assumption is correct.

Appearance:

Orange

Nose:

Waves of citrus peels like lemon and orange but with lots of fruits and additional richness.

We’ll start with the fruits, it’s very similar to the build up of flavours form the 12 and 15 year old releases. Loads off apples, pineapple, apricot – much more pronounced on this release, and, even though it isn’t fruit, there is a huge bloom of jasmine in this whisky.

Regarding the richness we have different elements of marinated fruits like raisins and sultana, but there is a good chunk of dark chocolate providing some bitter and a different kind of sweetness as a contrast to these bright citrus elements as well as all of the marinated fruit aromas.

Palate:

This is where the complexity of 18 year old whisky really comes to show, even though it’s only bottled at 40% ABV.

The hit of honey that appears on the palate is quite amazing. It’s rich, creamy, sweet and slightly earthy, too. There’s a herbaceous touch to this that appears early on, it reminds me of mint, liquorice and some sage. Herby notes aside, the thickness of the whisky runs back into dark chocolate, Brazil nuts and morello cherries.

Quite the display of flavours on show with this bottle.

Finish:

A little spicy at the end, rounding off with a touch of oak and barrel char. Not peart smoke, but a burnt wood kind of smoke. The cherry and honey notes stick around as these sweet notes battle with the dryness and bitterness of oak and barrel char.

Comments:

I know this isn’t the fanciest or the most experimental bottle of single malt to ever see the light of day, but it’s still really well put together.

Glenlivet 18 used to be bottled at 43%, why they decided to drop it is beyond me as it was such a key selling point of the bottle, and a focus for bigger flavours when compared to rival bottles from Glenfiddich, Johnnie Walker, etc.

If anyone was to offer me a glass or a bottle of this stuff, I’d never turn it down. It is a quintessential example of Speyside single malt that can still offer huge complexities for something that is readily available over most parts of the world. Despite it not necessarily applying to nerdier drinkers when it comes to ABV’s, natural colour and no filtering – it is still a very tasty, well built product that we have to hold an element of respect up to.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Phil Dwyer

Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant. With a decade of experience in whisky retail and nearly as long running Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, Phil is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with fellow whisky lovers. His goal is to make whisky accessible and enjoyable, dispelling the jargon and complexity that can sometimes surround the spirit. In addition to his online presence, Phil managed The Whisky Shop Manchester, where he curated an impressive selection of some of the finest drams available.

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