Glenlivet Founder's Reserve

I got this little 5cl sample for free in my last delivery of Ocado, so I thought I'd take down a few notes for those that may have seen that it's regularly on sale at the supermarket and wonder if it's worth it. (Spoiler alert: it's not).

Nose: wood. spice. pronounced sweetness. nutmeg and clove. fresh unripened tropical fruit, green papaya.

Palate: first nothing... then some prickling spice. acetone yuck. barley sugar. some more wood spice. Quite nice viscosity, sadly coupled with not so great taste elements. more wood.

Finish: short and woody. Slight sourness, but faint. Some lingering nutmeg / cinnamon / clove spice.

This isn't the worst I've had, I think. That said, if you've been eyeing this one wondering if it's worth it at the regularly offered £22-24, the answer is no. At retail £35, NO. Emphatically.

This feels 'made cheap', compared to 'sometimes available cheap'. Sorry, that acetone note really irked me. For the same price, or a few quid more if you're in the UK, you can pick up a Glenmorangie 10, a Laphroaig QC, an Aberlour 10/12, a Highland Park 12 or a Johnnie Walker Green - all of which sweep the floor with this Glenlivet.

Everyone who reviewed the Glenlivet Founder’s reserve got dragged into the NAS vs. Age Statement argument. I prefer not to get involved: no angry rants or sycophant flattery in this review. I’d just like to scrutinise this bottle on its own merits, not on its affiliation with the Glenlivet 12. So what do we know about the Founder’s reserve? Well it is the new entry level dram from the Glenlivet distillery, bottled at the bare minimum 40%. Little else is known, which saddens me a bit. The devil is the detail so I would very much like to learn which cask was used in the process (Bourbon, Sherry, Virgin, 1st fill, refill, ASB, Hogsheads, butts,..), etc… Let’s see if we can find it out for ourselves.

Description: No age statement release from Glenlivet, bottled at 40.0% ABV.

Nose: a light and pleasing floral nose: red apples, a lot of vanillin, butter, baking flower, with a hint of Ricola lemon mint.

Mouth: light bodied, dry and a little bitter. A shallow profile comprised of light peppery notes, strong young oak tannins, honey and green apples.

Finish: very short, vanillin with touches of pepper from the oak.

Verdict: it walks like a malt, talks like a malt, why all the hate? Its main selling point the nose, which is lovely. The downside is the palate that betrays its young age and feels a bit washed out, but we’ve grown to expect this from entry level malts. An easy evening sipper, very presentable and a good introductory single malt. As for the cask, I believe it has some sherry influence, but the abundance of vanillin and pepper reveals young bourbon or even virgin oak casks were used.

This is the new NAS Glenlivet - not sure if it is meant to replace the popular 12 Year Old, or if it has just been added to the range. It comes wrapped in a copy of the original license to distill, issued in 1824 to founder George Smith, and contained in a box with a nice eye-catching blue colour. Not sure why it's called Founder's Reserve, as it neither belongs to the founder (who died over a hundred years ago), nor is it from reserve stocks (I'm sure they have this stuff a-runnin' off the still at breakneck speed). Ah, marketing.

The colour is a medium gold. On the nose there is crisp barley, green apples, underripe bananas, pineapple and citrus notes such as orange and lemon. Background hints of vanilla, caramel and milk chocolate speak to well-used bourbon barrels. A bit grassy, more so with water. Rather quiet but pleasant in a timid way.

The palate is quite nondescript, with vague traces of malt, orange, apple and spice. A bit of honey as well, with herbs and more vanilla. But all these notes are very muted - definitely needs more oomph. Water doesn't help the palate, making things rather spirity and astringent. Disappointing, and speaks to its youth.

The finish is mouth-watering with more green apple, banana skin and a bit of oak. The Glenlivet 12 Year Old is known for being very light and unassuming (I like it as a nice starter to a tasting, or aperitif - it's a little underrated, in my opinion). But if you think that one is light, wait until you try this. If the 12 is dialled up to a 7, this one is down around 4. It has many of the same notes that make it unmistakably Glenlivet, but it just needs a bit more. As someone once wrote, there is no there there.

While ago, I started a discussion about this Founder's Reserve replacing their 12YO expression in the UK (probably in other parts of the market as well in near future).

I decided to give it a chance, even though I didn't like the news. This Glenlivet started out pretty well, but with oxidation, it started to get worse. Still, an okay whisky like my score implies, but not near its predecessor.

And don't give it much air time like my title suggests!

Nose: Sweet with fruits and malted barley. Very restrained, though sharp –young age does show. Notes of citrus and apricot.

Taste: Starts with bitter peach peel. There is pineapple present, but not as delicious as the 12YO’s notes. Toffee is present as well. Thick and smooth body.

Finish: Smooth and fast with fruits, sugared barley and oak. Aftertaste is pretty good but too quick.

Balance: Smooth and sweet dram.