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Ballindalloch · Speyside

Glenlivet

Gaelic · gleann
Glen
valley
+
River name · Livet
livet
a gently flowing river

A gently flowing river valley. It refers to the valley of Speyside where the River Rivet flows, and the official brand description also uses this meaning.

Glenlivet 12 Year Old

Speyside Single Malt · 40%Lantern still · double oak
One thing to remember

In 1822, King George IV visited Scotland and searched for the illegal Glenlivet whisky. Two years later, when George Smith received his legal license, the local smugglers threatened him, calling him a traitor. From then on, he always carried two pistols.

DISTIL
MATURE
EUROPEAN
OAK
AMERICAN
OAK
Why it tastes like this
01 · Josie's Well

Spring water brings out the sweetness of malt.

George's Well's mineral water is mixed with malt to create sweet wort. Although the water itself does not produce the pineapple flavor, it provides the basis for fermentation and distillation to begin.

02 · fermentation

Wooden fermenters produce fruity seeds

When yeast is added to wort, sugar is converted to alcohol. The aromatic ingredients created at this time set the tone for the Glenlivet, reminiscent of flowers and ripe fruit.

03 · lantern still

Steam spreads widely from the lantern-shaped body.

The top of the body of the copper single still bulges like a lamp. Some of the heavier vapor that was rising cools on this large surface and returns, while the lighter vapor heads upward.

04 · reflux

The long neck makes the spirit lighter once more.

The cooled ingredients that cannot rise to the neck are returned to the still. As this reflux is repeated, the proportion of refreshing fruity scents increases rather than harsh, weighty compounds.

05 · gentle spirit

Choose only the pure liquid from the soft center.

Not all of the twice-distilled liquid is aged. Pick a clean, fragrant heart in the middle and get a light and sweet new make without peat smoke.

06 · double oak

European and American oak overlap in taste

Over the course of 12 years, it is sequentially influenced by European and American oak. The sweetness of vanilla and toffee and soft texture are added to the freshness of fruit.

Flavour

Based on Glenlivet 12 Year Old.

Sherry 8Citrus 72Oak 36Malt 40Floral · vanilla 78Peat 0

The focus is on bright, sweet fruit scents such as pineapple, peach, and pear. The floral and vanilla axes are also greatly extended, but there is very little peat smoke.

The oak quietly emerges towards vanilla and toffee rather than the astringency of the wood. The overall texture is light and soft, making it a good fit for beginners who find peat or dark oak burdensome.

This value is not a public composition table, but rather the sensory impression of the reference bottling transferred to the same six axes.

Particulars
Region
Ballindalloch · Speyside
Founded
1824
Category
Single Malt Scotch
Water
Josie's Well
Distillation
Double distilled
Stills
Lantern-shaped copper pot stills
Casks
European · American oak
Age · ABV
12 years · 40%
Signature notes
Pineapple · pear · vanilla · meadow flowers
In detail

George Smith learned distilling in the Livet valley, where moonshine was plentiful. When the law changed in 1824, he received a license and established the first legal distillery in Glenlivet Parish. There is also a story in the brand's history that because of this choice, it was threatened by nearby bootleggers.

As the name of Glenlivet became famous, several distilleries added Glenlivet to their product names. George's son, John Gordon Smith, came forward to protect the name, and from 1884, The Glenlivet, with the definite article The, was used as its own brand name.

Today's 12 Year Old uses a combination of European and American oak. However, the oak scent is not the main character. Based on a light spirit obtained from a lantern-type still, it is aged so that fruit such as pineapple and pear, vanilla and flower aromas remain at the forefront.

Appendix

The official English description translates Glenlivet as ‘the valley of the smooth-flowing one’, where ‘flowing’ refers to the River Rivet. On this page, it has been moved to ‘a valley of a calmly flowing river’ so that the meaning can be conveyed immediately. Glen is obviously a valley in Gaelic, but the older form of Livet and the exact process of joining have several interpretations, so the latter part is not assumed to be a definite morpheme.

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