Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #118

Glenlivet 12 yo
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
40% abv
£22
$42.65(CAD)
$40 (USD)

Now available in an odd new package/box from some retailers, Glenlivet 12 is to many people THE quintessential Speyside malt whisky. They have upgraded the packaging (and pricing) on their 21 year old as well. Not much more to say than that. I am happy to finally tick this classic off the list in this Malt Mission, and it's about time!

They have just released a 25 year old (Glenlivet XXV) to become a permanent release in the Glenlivet range. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but I hope Neil Macdonald and Chivas Brothers deem me lucky enough to get a drop of this stuff to try this as a part of the Malt Mission...

More distillery information and other Glenlivets tasted as a part of the mission can be found HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Light and perfumed. Quite complex in spite the light impressions. Apples. Breakfast cereals. Incredibly appetizing.

Heartier in the mouth, full oak flavours and some gentle spice. Again, complex but in no rush to give away its secrets. Marzipan and tiramisu. This balance of oak and spice sits comfortably for minutes, gently drying late in the game.

SUMMARY:

A favourite the world over and quite easy to see why. As dangerous as this might be to say, I think this is a morning dram! Light and refreshing, even minty. Might be confused as bitterness to a newbie, so not a first-timers tipple. Has a real pick-me-up quality with great oak characteristics, even if the malt is slightly hidden by the spice. Plays it a bit safe, but is a real charmer.

Malt Mission #116
Malt Mission #117
Malt Mission #119
Malt Mission #120

Malt Mission HOME

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

YOU'RE a real charmer.
there i said it!
i've been looking for a good morning dram. keep up the good work,
chuck

Tom said...

Hmmm. I've tried this with and without ice, can't decide which I like better. I'll have to try other whiskeys and compare. Aw shucks

talisker said...

I think Glenlivet 12 gets pooh-poohed by many whisky tasters simply because it is fairly cheap and widely available. It's available at Walgreen's Pharmacies in the U.S. It is a wonderfully balanced Speyside..won't knock your socks off. I really like reading your reviews because you don't turn your nose up at something just because it doesn't cost a lot or is rare. I like expensive rare ones as well..of course,