THE GLENLIVET CELEBRATES 200 YEARS
Launches 12 yo and Eternal Collection First Edition
Glenlivet it has castles three
Drumin, Blairfeldy, and Deskie
And also one distillery
More famous than the castles three
The Glenlivet can rightly claim to be the single malt that started it all. Such was the reputation of illegal whisky from the Glenlivet area that King George IV would drink nothing else during his 1822 visit to Edinburgh. In 1823, the Excise Act was issued to encourage legal distilling. One man seized this opportunity to achieve his vision of perfect whisky. George Smith took the first legal distilling license in his distillery in the Upper Drumin farm in Glenlivet, the bucolic Banffshire district in the parish of Glenlivet, Speyside in 1824.
What made The Glenlivet the definitive single malt as early as 1822 is still true today: mineral-rich water; taller, wider stills; careful, slower, more gradual maturation; and a perfect location. These particularities have made it the benchmark by which all other single malts are judged. 2024 marked the 200th anniversary of The Glenlivet.
January 2024 saw the kicking-off of The Glenlivet’s 200th anniversary festivities, with the launch of a 12 Year Old Special Edition expression. This celebratory single malt comprises 100% American Oak Matured first fill casks, hand-picked to celebrate the anniversary, and is presented at 43% ABV. A unique take on their classic 12 Year Old, this Glenlivet whisky is a celebration of Glenlivet’s journey forever forwards.
Owned by Chivas Brothers, Pernod Ricard’s dedicated Scotch business arm, Glenlivet sells over 20 million bottles annually. The brand has grown consistently, with value ahead of volume, because they have listened to what whisky fans are looking for when considering a dram. In response to consumer demand, they are delivering ever more innovative styles of whisky and more engagement. Glenlivet has been the largest-selling Scotch single malt brand in the United States for over four decades and is reportedly among the best selling single malt in high-end bars across Asia. The Russian market has been closed off due the ongoing war and sanctions imposed by the EU on Russia.
The Glenlivet Eternal Collection First Edition, a 55
Year Old expression, their oldest to date, made its debut in October 2024. This
remarkable whisky is a testament to the craftsmanship and originality that has
defined The Glenlivet since inception in 1824. Only 100 exquisitely crafted bottles are available of this ambitious
single malt, ABV 42.2%, priced at $55,000.
Kevin Balmforth, The Glenlivet Cask Master at Chivas Brothers, worked for a lustrum to create the outstanding expression, first aged for over fifty years in Bourbon and Sherry barrels and ultimately finished in a custom-made Sherry cask.
In 2019, Balmforth, along with Director of Blending Sandy Hyslop, began selecting a limited batch of ultra-aged casks, including bourbon barrels and sherry butts, tabbing them for this eventual 200th anniversary release. The task was to take those parcels, combine them, and turn them into something truly extraordinary and memorable. The question that remained was how, if at all, they could elevate it further.
The answer was in finishing the whisky in a sherry butt unlike any other extant—thus Balmforth and his crew created a specific blend of sherry to season the cask, imparting the exact flavours and characteristics they were seeking. Any ordinary sherry cask wouldn’t do. They wanted the perfect note to complement this 50 YO-plus whisky.
The distillery team received a shipment of sample Sherries from its partner bodega in Spain, and after much taste testing, settled on a specific ratio of Oloroso, PX, and Palo Cortado before sending the blend back to Spain.
Given the tight regulations on Sherry and Sherry casks in Spain, he and his team went to their partner Spanish bodega to create the bespoke single sherry cask at their cooperage. He focussed on the cask while his team of blenders checked out the pre-defined blend of sherry to condition the cask to provide them with its indrink that would round off the aged whisky, armed with the knowledge that only 100 bottles of exquisite Scotch would be created as the first edition for the occasion. They conditioned the individual cask with the sherries selected and created it just for this release.
Once the seasoned cask arrived in Scotland, the team poured in the barrels earmarked for this project, and let it finish for more than two years. They ensured that it didn't overpower the incredible intensity and richness that was already there. It was more about adding subtle spice notes from the sherry casks to elevate it up another notch.
Balmforth also points out signature flavours representing Glenlivet's house style, such as stewed pears, zesty orange, tropical fruits and toffee, embellished with dark chocolate, and cinnamon, ginger spice and a touch of home in the form of plum jam.
This complex 55 YO single malt comes presented in a sculpture made from jesmonite with rose-gold plating designed by computational architect Michael Hansmeyer. The artist took his inspiration from the distillery's environs, a tribute to the rugged Scottish landscape surrounding the distillery including the flow of the River Livet, when modelling the design via computer programming, a stunning sculpture reflecting the intersection of whisky craftsmanship and technology. A special edition with a one-of-a-kind Hansmeyer sculpture will be auctioned in partnership with Sotheby's starting on October 18th, with proceeds benefiting the National Trust for Scotland.
The release is the first expression in a planned annual series. Each forthcoming edition will consist of stock from the same sherry cask the 55 year old was drawn from, aged for one further year until the liquid is all released.
The Glenlivet Eternal Collection will thus be a new range of highly collectable precious whiskies. Released annually, each future release – all taken from a single, extraordinary cask – will be aged for one additional year and will be accompanied by an original art form crafted by a visionary artist, a collection to cherish. At least four more editions are expected from this cask.
Official Tasting Notes:
Nose: A gentle sweetness of poached pears is harmonised with the heady citrus notes of ripe, sun-drenched Seville oranges whilst a deeper note of sticky dates ground the trio. These are matched in the deep warmth of toasted hazelnut and the indulgent richness of dark chocolate, finishing with the spiced warmth of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Palate: Deep and warming flavours of homemade blackcurrant jam, vanilla fudge, and dark chocolate, balanced with zesty orange and crystallised ginger before closing with a touch of warming clove spice.
Finish: Incredibly long, the finish is distinct and complex, evolving through fruit and spices to culminate with a subtle warming dry and spicy finish.
TRAVEL RETAIL
Newly released expressions that have limited credentials or have no previous antecedents are invariably tested first in the travel retail arena for public response before making it into the mainstream market. More often than not, these expressions are of 1 Litre bottlings at 40% ABV and NAS, based on an traveller's limited availability of time to indulge in a detailed review before buying. A large number of Glenmorangie expressions have seen the light of day in Duty Free Shops, never to appear again. In November of their 200th year, The Glenlivet launched a new series of limited edition whiskies, exclusively for travellers, The Glenlivet Groundbreaker Collection. It will comprise expressions called Chapters. Each Chapter will celebrate original artists who, through travel, have set new standards in their artistic craft.
Eschewing a brush, Hong Yi’s unconventional methods include using fire to char parchment to paint using traditional red Chinese pigments – the technique used to create the artwork housing Chapter One of The Glenlivet Groundbreaker Collection. This innovative choice of finish delivers a subtle red-amber hue in honour of Red Hong Yi’s original artistry and her favourite colour – which gave rise to her nickname, Red. Red’s art takes us on a journey from the mountains of Borneo to the bustling streets of Shanghai, onto the shores of Los Angeles and finally to the Livet Valley in Scotland.
Chapter One marks the first time The Glenlivet has selectively finished whisky in red wine casks. Inside the bottle, the single malt Scotch whisky was carefully matured in specially selected European and American Oak casks. The Glenlivet Cask Master Kevin Balmforth then oversaw the finishing of a portion of the whisky in charred American Oak and European Red Wine Casks. The journey taken by this Single Malt Whisky mirrors that of the Red’s own journey – one of inner and outer transformation.
Tasting Notes
Appearance: Subtle red-amber.
Nose: Fresh blueberries, juicy red apple, caramelised pears, glazed cherries, vanilla custard, orange peel, sweet oak char and crystallised ginger.
Palate: Juicy plums, ripe banana, raspberry jam, charred pineapple, creamy butterscotch, warm gingerbread, caramel wafer and nutmeg spice.
Finish: Warming, spicy and slightly dry.
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