Glenlivet 18 Year Old

The remote and isolated Livet valley made it ideal for illicit distillation. This is where founder George Smith perfected his craft.

Hidden away from the Customs Officers and soldiers amongst the hills and abundant springs, Smith had time to distill slowly making a whisky that would soon become world-renowned.

In August 1822, King George IV arrived in Scotland for a state visit and asked to try a drop of the infamous Glenlivet whisky. An illegal dram it was, but that didn’t stop the King.

By the 1830’s, The Glenlivet distillery was producing more than 200 gallons a week. When Andrew Usher & Sons of Edinburgh joined as sales agents, word of the Glenlivet began to spread far and wide.

Over the course of 18 years, Master Distiller Alan Winchester, takes this expression through a combination of cask types, including both first and second-fill American oak (for tropical fruitiness) and ex-sherry oak (for spicy complexity). The result of this deft navigation of the distilling arts is a gorgeous single malt scotch whisky that is complex, yet elegant and balanced. 

Nose: Rich fruit, toffee

Palate: Balanced and rich with notes of tannic oak. Lavender honey with apple peels and sweet orange. 

Finish: Long, with raisins and spicy oak notes.