Oh Glenlivet 12, yeah I’ve had that before. Except you haven’t! This is the Glenlivet 12 Excellence and as much as that sounds like some marketing mumbo jumbo this is indeed a completely different spirit. The Glenlivet 12 was in fact my first Scotch whisky. Pretty typical I guess since it’s the number one selling single malt in the USA. A lot of people overlook it because of it’s staggering availability but guess what they’ve removed the 12 from the UK market. And this Glenlivet 12 Excellence was never even on the UK market! According to the folks at the distillery it is only available in Asia and at the distillery. So naturally we had to have it. They say it’s more sherried than the standard 12 but I think it’s a bit more special than that.

Distillery: Glenlivet

Age: 12 years

ABV: 40%

Cask Type: Predominantly Sherry

Price at Distillery: £38.80

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TheMadVatter

Nose

Ripe fruits with fresh cream. Spices of Christmas cake and mulled wine. Bit of oak astringency. A bit of hi-chew gum or some sort of fruit gum. It has a bit of that unnatural sweetness to it but not in a displeasing way.

Taste

Bright sweet berries and fruit. Canned peaches. A bit tart. That glazing used in fruits tarts from Sainsbury. Bit of cinnamon. Rich toffee. A bit like sticky toffee pudding.

Finish

Crisp bitter wood. A bit of that hi-chew sweetness lingers but the bitter oak really stays. Quite dry.

Rating

7.5

Aftethoughts

I quite liked this. I first tried it at the Glenlivet Distillery next to the Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve and the NAS Nadurra. Of the three I fancied this one the best which is why I bought it. It’s got more depth and complexity than the other two and just a really nice warming sensation. Makes for a great take it easy summer evening kind of drinking. It’s a shame you can only get it in Asia and at the distillery.

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AliceinWhiskyland

Nose

Crisp Apples and pear drops. Floral perfume, Werther’s Original candy and notes of paint fresh onto a canvas.

Taste

A crate of fresh pears, freshly chopped wood. The earthy taste like chewing on a vanilla pod. Beeswax candles.

Finish

Crisp, lingering vanilla and a lady’s perfume.

Score

7

Afterthoughts

I really enjoyed this expression. This is something I could see myself going back to often. We tried this alongside some other Glenlivet expressions (as TheMadVatter mentioned) and it was certainly a stand out dram.