Glenlivet 18yo

One of the most famous malts in the world, perhaps on account of the story of George Smith,an illegal distiller in Speyside who went legit when he obtained the first licence to legally distill whisky in 1824.

For many years afterwards he had to carry a pair of pistols to protect himself and his family from his aggrieved erstwhile colleagues, the moonshiners, but the quality of his spirit quickly made him and his distillery famous and set a precedent that sparked the birth of the industry as we know it today.

Famously the first legal Scottish distillery in Speyside after owner George Smith took the brave step of applying for the first licence to distil following the Excise Act of 1823, Glenlivet became so synonymous with the best quality that the company was forced to take legal action in the 1880s to prevent its rivals passing off their own wares as 'the Real Stuff'. Despite the Smith family winning the exclusive right for their product to be known as 'The' Glenlivet, dozens of other distilleries persisted with the usage of the Glenlivet suffix (eg Macallan-Glenlivet) for decades afterwards.

Although the distillery's standard 12yo epitomises the kind of soft, smooth, lighter style of Speyside malts beloved of so many whisky fans, Glenlivet's spirit has also proven itself to be more than capable of withstanding long years of wood-ageing. 

The 18yo is matured in a combination of first and second fill American oak and sherry casks. The 18yo won two golds at the International Wine and Spirits Competition.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Quite big and well-rounded. There are notes of chewy sultanas and Sherried peels, barley sugars and toasty cereals with petals and apple blossom. A touch of fudge and gentle wisps of smoke.

Palate: Full and rich with notes of chewy, tannic oak. Manuka honey and walnut with Cox’s apples and orange peels. Cut herbs - fennel and spearmint.

Finish: Long and dry with a spicy oak note.