The Glenlivet 25 Year Old Scotch Whisky, 70 cl Gift Set

Product Information

Both Squidgy and myself love Vinesh dearly, but this is one area where I disagree with him on whisky. Squidgy and myself have been able to enjoy this whisky multiple times now due in large part to Vinesh and Laura Hay, and a huge thank you goes out to the both of them.

I love this whisky, if you can't tell, but Vinesh looks at me after his dram and says "I don't like it, at all, totally not my thing, I can't stand it" We tried for our very first whisky a whisky that I loathe, Hellyer's Road. We made that our first stop as Othmar had heard about my intense dislike for this whisky and found it very odd as normally our palates line up together in harmony. He couldn't understand why I hated it so much, especially considering how he'd tried it at a prior whisky show in Brisbane. The other two guys just stared at us in confusion, not quite getting why Othmar and I were so excited. When you ask someone about famous Scotch brands, Glenlivet usually is one of the first that comes to mind. Like many of its Highlands and Speyside siblings, the Glenlivet has a long and distinct history of selling delicious Scotches. I’ve greatly enjoyed the Glenlivet Nadurra FF2015 and Glenlivet Nadurra 16. The 16 is one of my personal favorites, but unfortunately discontinued. The Glenlivet 25-year is especially special because it’s one of the the oldest you can buy.In just two years after the act, the number of licensed distilleries doubled and legal whisky production rose from two million to six million gallons a year. Glenlivet was so prestigious that it gave its name to the whole region, now known as Speyside. To help preserve his brand, George Smith’s son, John Gordon Smith, applied for sole rights to the name, which were granted in 1884 but allowed other producers to hyphenate it with their own names eg. Glenfarclas-Glenlivet, which is still seen today, though very rarely. Which is why the original is known grandly as THE Glenlivet to differentiate itself from all those hyphenated Glenlivets. I originally got my start writing about whisky talking about the important things. These things were not just tasting notes, or the history of the distillery or the history of the barrel. Toffee, sultanas, figs, honey, red vine liquorice, pears, citrus fruits, oranges, orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, sherry, creme brulee, delicious, so very delicious. So what did I experience? Its very smooth and rich in flavor with a hint of spice and not earthy and at the end. The @43% ABV is good for my palate, you don't sacrifice the smooth flow and flavors that higher ABV would overpower. Nose: Sherry-derived purple grape and orange. Vanilla-smooth yet with that sharp sherry overtone like almond skins. Eventually... seems less fruity and more malty, like walnut baklava.

Throughout the Great Depression, The Glenlivet stayed open. In fact, the only period during which the distillery shut down was during World War II, by government decree, after which it played a key role in pulling Britain out of its postwar debt by exporting whisky to the United States. The American market had exploded during the new century, and the high demand even led to the British government maintaining bread rations for some time so that distillers could utilize the limited grain resources for whisky production.

The Glenlivet XXV Details

As well as being sold as a single malt, Glenlivet was much in demand by blenders. Blended whisky was taking off in the 19th century, most notably by Edinburg merchant Andrew Usher with his OVG (Old Vatted Glenlivet) which was launched in 1852 and had The Glenlivet as a principle component in the blend. By the 20th century the vast majority of the distillery’s production was going for fillings but in the 1970s Glenlivet once again began to market itself as a single malt, especially in the lucrative US market. Finish: Lightens significantly, to light nectarine caramel, while continued exhaling provides nutmeg or those almond skins, plus raisin and vanilla. For a year now I've been getting whisky samples from distilleries and importers and this is great, there's no denying it. I get the chance to try all sorts of really cool whiskies that I normally wouldn't, but what has happened as a result of receiving all of these cool samples is that there oftentimes isn't a cool story behind me tasting it. Half an hour, 45 minutes later Othmar, myself and a couple of guys that Othmar knew swung by the Glenlivet stand, glencairns in hand. A brilliant bar, where Othmar and I played around with Glenmorangie Signet (totally not worth the hype in my opinion!) amongst other whiskies.