The Glenlivet 12y with Dan & Ryan

The Glenlivet.  Another fairly glaring absence from our testing roles, finally remedied!

The Glenlivet is an elder, storied distillery.  I would tell you more about it but I can’t type their tag lines like “a tale of single-minded determination and irrepressible spirit” and still respect myself, so go check out their website.  They have videos and clips and all kinds of rich web material on there.

The Wikipedia page details bucolic origins of the resources that make the scotch.  But to be honest, all this marketing of terroir and authenticity and genuinenessness is getting a little boring. I don’t think I could tell you what authenticity is even supposed to mean in regards to scotch – something about hands and dirt, or something.

Is it amazing that a distillery has been open as long as The Glenlivet? Absolutely. Am I more excited about younger distilleries that may be trying new things, other than just aging their wares in the casks of other booze? Yes.

Anyway, here’s what we thought:

smell
Dan – fruity sweetness, berries, artificial raspberry
Simon – sweet, syrup, artificial banana?
Ryan – caramel, pear

neat
Dan – very light, licorice
Simon – smooth, very smooth. oak, not much smoke
Ryan – following burn, pear returns

splash
Dan – pear, but less flavourful, taste the wood
Simon – less good with splash, soft sweetness
Ryan – n/a

The Glenlivet 12y – 40% 750ml – $48.95 – Speyside

Try it? Yes. Buy it? Yes.