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.

One of the most famous malts in the world. Glenlivet 12yo has a soft smooth balance of sweet summer fruits and the floral notes of spring flowers.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Remarkably flowery, clean & soft.

Palate:Flowery, peachy, notes of vanilla, delicate balance between sweetness & malty dryness.

Finsih: Juicy but fairly short, gently warming.