The Glenlivet 18 Years Old

• 43% ABV, £50 for 70cl
• Score: 81/100

What they say:

Character: The balanced and elegant one

Colour: Old gold with apricot hues

Nose: Rich fruit aromas and toffee notes

Palate: Wonderfully balanced, with bursts of sweet oranges

Finish: Long, with spice and moist raisin notes

Craft facts

The rich palate of the 18 Year Old is the result of a combination of several different cask types. The Glenlivet Master Distiller Alan Winchester has a wealth of quality casks to choose from when creating this complex expression, with American and European Oak, first and second fill, all playing their parts.

European Oak imparts spicy hints and brings additional complexity.

First-fill American Oak adds tropical fruitiness.

What I say:

Purchased on offer at £30 for 70cl from ASDA, I have previously had a bottle of The Glenlivet 12 Years Old which I found to be highly drinkable though difficult to remember any overall flavour impressions from. We had also sampled The Glenlivet 12 Years Old and Nadurra when we toured the distillery in September 2011.

Colour:

Deep orange amber gold

Nose:

Sweet toffee and caramel, peach, orange, grape and honey

Taste:

Delicate barley malt, subtle honey and marmalade, slightly oily and rich brandy butter and lots of aged oak wood

Finish:

Long and heart-warming, aged oak wood and caramelised brown sugar, a little vaporous and drying in the mouth but very smooth and mellow

Would I buy it again:

Our overall impression was that this 18 Years Old expression from The Glenlivet is outwardly very drinkable and simple but has a lot of rich aged wood character and a rich oily mouthfeel. Sadly for us the spice didn’t seem to come through and I was left with a rich woody aftertaste like caramelised sugars. Considering I purchased this at almost 1/2 the standard retail price I still feel like it was a bit of a bargain. While it didn’t seem to carry much flavour initially it actually packs quite a punch and easily overpowers strong food flavours. Definitely one to drink with spicy Indian cuisine or similar.