The Glenlivet 12 Year Scotch Review

The Glenlivet 12 Year scotch is a classic Speyside single malt characterized by a balanced and elegant flavor profile. Its flavors of citrus, honeysuckle, and vanilla promise to please those looking for a non-smoky flavor—no peat flavors here. 

Tasting Notes

Color: Medium-light honey-gold

Nose: Citrus fruit, honeysuckle, and vanilla, illustrative of what a classic Speyside single malt should smell like. Do not expect peat, as that is not what this northeastern region of Scotland is known for.

Palate: Candied nuts, sweet vanilla shortbread cookies, and a hint of toffee

Finish: Sweetness that lingers on your tongue but is gently overtaken by lemon zest and the crunchy bitterness of barrel tannin, with just a hum of vanilla beneath it 

Our Review

On the very top of the bottle, you will see the year The Glenlivet was established: 1824. But that’s just the year that its founder, George Smith, officially obtained a recognized license to distill. Smith was one of many distillers practicing his trade in the dark of night and carrying barrels over the hills to sell in secret to elude the outrageously heavy excise tax put upon spirits by England. But a legitimate near-200 years of practice indeed makes for a very fine single malt whisky, and one of the benchmark representations of the Speyside style. 

Every distillery makes its own choices that, if done well and correctly, become the fingerprint of their spirits. No matter the barrel finishes or other flourishes imparted, you can find the thread that runs through them all. The Glenlivet’s mash process is all about extracting sugar from the malted barley, which isn’t to say you should assume a candy-ish type of sweetness, but instead a gentle richness, fruitiness, and soft cookie-like note that balances beautifully with the alcohol and tannin from barrel-aging. It hums through all of the distillery’s whiskies, no matter the age or choice of finish.

The long necks on the copper stills, designed by George Smith himself, catch the most delicate esters during distillation, and are part and parcel to the soft, alluring aromas you’ll find in the nose. The 12 is so very easy to love: It’s soft and supple on the palate, with each of the distinct parts—aromatics, alcohol, tannin, grain, barrel, texture—in complete balance. It’s why these whiskies have endured for two centuries—before and after single malts were a thing.