One of the most famous bottles of whisky in the world, here we have The Glenlivet 12 year old. From a UK perspective, we have a strange relationship with this bottle. It was much loved by the British public but sadly disappeared in 2015 to be briefly replaced by The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve…which was met with a rather flat response. However, the 12 year old release is now back and is still providing whisky drinkers with a fruit drenched Speyside single malt from one of the most famous distilleries in the world of whisky. Why was it taken from the UK market in 2015? Well, many Brits asked themselves the same question. Long story short, the UK isn’t the largest market for whisky, despite being in the top 10, as well as the second biggest market for bourbon in the world, single malt sales dominate in other parts of the globe. The demand for The Glenlivet 12 was so high in the U.S. and parts of Asia that there seemed no real reason to keep selling it in a market with less demand. It’s happily back now but does taste a little different before it went away, but it wouldn’t be a whisky story if it didn’t.
I have a nostalgic connection to this product, and in all honesty, it’s something I’ve been buying older bottles of from auction sites for a few years. The consistency is genuinely incredible, especially in those earlier grey boxes of The Glenlivet 12.
When we all think of Speyside whiskies, in the current era we tend to jump directly to sherry casks. We think of The Macallan, Glenfarclas, Glenallachie, Aberlour, etc. It’s hard not to when those distilleries do such a good job of making sherry casks sing. Older expressions of The Glenlivet and Glenfiddich can also do this, but a forgotten elements of Speyside whiskies is this incredible fruitiness.
This whisky in particular is so deep with peaches, apricots, green apple, red apple, pineapple and all of this powerfully refreshing elements that accompany a little bite of oak from spending 12 years in the stuff. Shery is great but it can be so overpowering to a distillate, especially something like this that is showcasing excellent creation and cask management for an entry level bottle.
The Glenlivet 12 is truly head and shoulders above a lot of other big offerings from some of the biggest Scottish distillers.
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 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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