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Glenlivet 18 Year Old

Yay for Glenlivet!

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@SquidgyAshReview by @SquidgyAsh

7th May 2013

0

Glenlivet 18 Year Old
  • Nose
    23
  • Taste
    22
  • Finish
    21
  • Balance
    22
  • Overall
    88

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

Last night I decided after a very long day of watching movies, playing video games, prepping for my wife's and I upcoming holiday to Scotland and talking whisky to crack open a sample bottle of whisky that had been sent to me.

Glenlivet 18 year old sent to me by my whisky friend, Systemdown of Queensland.

Up to him introducing me to a sample of Nadurra, all of my experiences with Glenlivet had been fairly unexceptional.

I personally found the 12 year old boring and the Nadurra that I purchased was unbalanced and overly floral and sweet.

However Systemdown assured me that Nadurra was a good little whisky and he proved me correct with his sample of Nadurra and so when I saw the 18 year old Glenlivet I was a little intrigued.

So when dinner arrived, meat lovers pizza, I decided to give it a crack.

Man am I glad that I did!

It has a lovely little nose of fruit, apples and pears, cinnamon, toffee, honey, vanilla, oak, little floral and a very slight cocoa aroma that appears and disappears.

Very cool!

A little sweet and complex nose that really does invite me to take a sip.

I'll oblige!

Mmmmm very nice.

Apples, pears, hint of oak, honey, again a little floral, vanilla, caramel. But it's balanced very nicely.

Just a little too sweet for my own personal preferences, but still very nice.

A long soft lingering finish ends this whisky with toffee and apples that linger on the back of the palate.

Delicious and yes this is what I hope for when I think Glenlivet!

Even better is this whisky is fairly priced, running at around $115 to $120 AUS, which I think is pretty good bang for buck on this single malt.

Looking for a nice sipping whisky to while away the evening, but prefer nothing smokey or peaty?

I'd give this whisky a try!

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11 comments

@systemdown
systemdown commented

A very easy drinking one indeed. Subtle complexity and natural sweetness. I got raisins quite strongly on the nose, and some soft sherry spices. For me, for a "standard" line Glenlivet, this sits at the top of the list so far (not counting Nadurra as it's not really part of the "standard" vertical line up).

11 years ago 0

@CanadianNinja
CanadianNinja commented

I don't know... personally I have yet to be impressed with anything from Glenlivet. This one was no different for me...

11 years ago 0

@systemdown
systemdown commented

@CanadianNinja Perhaps you've been spoiled! I see what you're saying though. I can see the mass market appeal of Glenlivet and the 18yo is no different. Would I drink it in preference to "insert name of a natural cask strength whisky from an indie distiller here"? Probably not. Would I turn down a dram of Glenlivet 18 if offered? Certainly not. In the context of a mass produced Single Malt, I really enjoyed it. Horses for courses, each to their own, and all that.

I once tried a stunning un-adulterated, first fill sherry, single cask version of Glenlivet at an SMWS tasting (I don't have the bottle code on hand). You may have approved of that one.

Glenlivet are capable of producing stunning whisky, as with most other uber-branded distilleries. It is definitely a pity that we don't see official bottlings like the one I described above.

11 years ago 0

@CanadianNinja
CanadianNinja commented

Fair enough. Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not saying that there isn't anything out there from Glenlivet that I would like. I'm just saying I have yet to come across something that I would purchase a second bottle of.

The 18 yo was highly recommended to me by a friend. Unfortunately after trying it I regretted the purchase! Oh well, such is the whisky journey ;)

11 years ago 0

@SquidgyAsh
SquidgyAsh commented

Time to jump in here!

@Systemdown thanks again for the sample! I need to get some more samples out to you before we fly out! So much to do!!!!!! It was in my opinion the best of the Glenlivet's that I've tried so far, hands down.

@CanadianNinja I totally understand where you're coming from. This for me was the standout of the Glenlivet lineup and something that made me do a little sigh of relief as the rest of the Glenlivet's I've tried really haven't impressed me too much. This isn't a whisky that I'd run out and buy mind you, but for someone looking for easy drinking or just starting their whisky journey, I'd happily start them here (and totally bypass the 12 year old in the process). I personally believe in doing a price point thing in my reviews as if people are interested in a whisky it gives them an idea on what to expect to pay and I hope helps them from overpaying for a whisky. I'm personally hoping to encounter something very sexy cask strength wise at Glenlivet while in Scotland so I do have my fingers crossed, and I'm an ambassador for them so I'm supposed to have access to some sort of members library with special Glenlivets in it for us to try, but we'll see how it goes.

11 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor commented

I like the Glenlivet 21 yo Archive myself. (Thanks, @MichaelSchout.)So far that is the only Glenlivet which has made much of an impression on me.

11 years ago 0

@SquidgyAsh
SquidgyAsh commented

Never got a chance to try that one @Victor. Silly question, but is that one more intense? I know intense and Glenlivet don't normally go together in the same sentence other then "Glenlivet isn't intense" but that's something I'd love to see! A dark brooding Glenlivet!

11 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor commented

@SquidgyAsh, there is a strong, but not excessive, wood influence in the 21 yo Archive that I like. As Glenlivet goes, the flavours are pretty intense. I like it quite a lot. Not inexpensive to buy a bottle, though.

11 years ago 0

@maltster
maltster commented

@victor, @SquidgyAsh, I would definitely recommend to try some indie Glenlivet, the 21yo from Gordon&MacPhails is great (at least my bottle which s from around 2006) and ranks way above the official bottling. @SquidgyAsh, if you are willing to pay a bit more on your trip to scotland try to get your hands on a bottle of older GM Glenlivet - the 1963/2010, the 1965 and 1968 are truly great ones...

11 years ago 0

@SquidgyAsh
SquidgyAsh commented

Great advice Maltster! Thanks buddy!!

11 years ago 0

MaltofCocktail commented

Wow. I find it mildly depressing that the overall majority judges this malt to be "ho-hum" at best. I bought a bottle to try - and after drinking it "carefully" I went back for a second one - a week later! Personally, I have no preference when it comes to which "camp" I visit, (blends vs single malt) I like what I like. And "I like" a few different whiskys - (all scotch). Some I favour exhibit considerable peat and/or smoke (Lagavulin 16 comes to mind)- and yet others I fancy tend to yield a more fruity experience, (such as this Glenlivet 18). I found it to be pleasant - both to nose and its flavor bouquet - "fit for everyday use". It is competent sipped with or without a splash of water and being American - I often add a few cubes of ice, particularly in the summer. I find its taste pleasant - dependable - it provides a positive dram memory for sure. Of course, the journey is long - and there are many miles yet untraveled! But for me - thus far - it rates in the 90's of its price class - IMHO. ($103 USD).

9 years ago 0