Decadent Drinks | 53% ABV

The Original

By my reckoning, this is our first Glenlivet review and it has taken us a few months to reach this point. Other notable names such as Glenfiddich and Balvenie still await their turn, so it’s an exclusive club as we usher each one onto the main stage. But to get to the point, Glenlivet and several other big names in the industry do their thing, it’s just not my thing. And that’s not a slight on them, as if you’re able to go back in time with Glenlivet, then I’d recommend you do so. Some marvellous whiskies have come from this distillery, which is a behemoth today and focused on more on volume.

That focus and drive takes it away from my own regular shopping radar. Like all special offers at the supermarket, you’ll consider the options if there’s an attractively reduced Glenlivet on special. These mainstream releases play to a larger crowd and therefore adopt a different dynamic. While not awful, there’s a BBC Radio 2 vibe of playing it safe and taking no risks.

So, for the real deal Glenlivet, unless you’re able to pick up an official single cask bottling, which can be a little pricey, you have to look to the independent sector. These bottlings aren’t often spotted and tend to be a little more prestige and sherry-focused, with Signatory Vintage bottling some big sherry releases on a regular basis. That’s what we have here with a Signatory cask forming the latest release from Decadent Drinks and the guiding hand of the Whisky Sponge - it’s well worth reading his latest post on being an independent bottler. I’ll even provide a quote to tempt you…

When you take the road to Glenlivet you do feel as if you are leaving modern civilisation behind. Venturing into the glens where no one can hear you scream. It’s location and history are well documented, as is the use of Glenlivet by over 20 distilleries who wanted to tap into its fame. Fortunately, Gallie has already written an article on the Glenlivet suffix conundrum.  

One of the aspects that attracted me to whisky many years ago – longer than I care to remember, was the historical aspect. The opportunity to taste and experience the past. To learn about the old ways and lost distilleries. To experience what enthusiasts enjoyed decades ago. Admittedly, such an avenue has become a little more limited and expensive in recent times. Even so, it is one I’d recommend you try, if only to put whiskies of today into context. 

While today’s massive Glenlivet distillery resides at Minmore, which explains why occasionally you might see a cask called as such, the original Glenlivet site was at Drumin. This was around a mile from the current distillery and is currently being unearthed and documented. A tiny distillery in comparison, with George Smith starting out illegally before becoming the first legal still distiller in the area, which we know did bring him into danger with smugglers. I can only hope that someone, one day, will do the same at Glen Mhor and reveal the foundations of the lost distillery – and many others across Scotland. Because one thing the Scotch whisky industry hasn’t been good at is preserving the past. It might form the basis of the marketing campaign, or sounds great on a tour i.e., this is the way that we’ve always done it with no changes. But no one wants to talk about the destruction and pursuit of efficiency that has scrubbed clean many distilleries and their historical legacy, to satisfy shareholders and the bottom line.

So, by accident, we’re fortunate that George Smith decided to relocate the Glenlivet and that the original site was in a such a remote area of Scotland. If this was on the outskirts of a town, or in a city, the distillery would be lost to time. What prompted the move was the invention of the railway and Drumin was too remote for the Strathspey line. Smith who was a determined individual, also saw the potential of this modern method of transportation to ship to markets safely and efficiently. Out of the hands of smugglers or time-consuming roads of the 1800s.

Back to 2022, and we have this 2007 14 year old Glenlivet which has been reduced slightly to 53% from an original strength of 65%. Residing in a 1st fill sherry hogshead for its full maturation, this has produced 364 bottles with an asking price of £135. That’s a bit too much for me as I can remember Signatory releasing cask strength Glenlivet around this age for £100, a year or so ago. Yet with all this talk of inflation left right and centre, who knows in 2022?

Review

Bottle Details in Teal Blue, 53% ABV
£135 and available from Decadent Drinks

Nose

Diluted blackcurrant, meadow fruits, basil and strawberries. There’s a putty element that provides body, autumnal and a satisfying bourbon-like assortment of caramel, popcorn and vanilla. Oats, worn leather and walnuts don’t come as too much of a surprise. Aniseed and black tea, perhaps are.

Palate

Taking down the strength has I presume removed the edginess and youthful bravado. It is more accessible on the palate and refined, but has enough punch. More blackcurrants, cherry, orange and clove. Toffee apples, leathery, red grapes, wood spice and black peppercorns. Sweet cinnamon, mild chocolate, redcurrants and strawberry jam towards the end.  Very juicy and enjoyable.

The Dregs

An enjoyable drop of Glenlivet – something you don’t say all the time. There is a refined quality, which is probably amplified if you’re sitting in an old leather wingback chair with some jazz playing softly in the background. A quality pour with a touch of class that showcases a good distillate and sherry wood. You can appreciate with a whisky such as this why Glenlivet was the distillery everyone aspired to be at one stage. There’s an elegance and assured marriage with the wood. 

And I do like this release but not enough to purchase myself. It just feels a little too much for what is a spritely teenager. However, if you’re in the market for a quality sherried whisky, enjoy your classic Speyside exponents and have deeper pockets, then this one is for you. 

Score: 7/10

My thanks to the Sponge for the sample and bottle photos. Also, to Distillery View for the Drumin image.

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