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Scotch Whisky Review + Tasting Notes: The Glenlivet 15 Year Old

This Glenlivet 15 Year Old expression from the Speyside classic distillery has a finish in French oak - a particular type of French oak named Limousin.

OVERALL RATING

7
$70
  • Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant with over a decade of experience in whisky retail and online whisky education. Best known for hosting Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, he is dedicated to making whisky accessible and enjoyable by cutting through jargon and complexity.
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Tasting Notes

About:

A step up in the range from The Glenlivet 12 Year Old. This 15-year expression from the Speyside classic has a finish in French oak, a particular type of French oak named Limousin. This type of domestic wood is normally used to mature cognac, but has brought an additional level of flavor to this very fruit driven Speyside single malt.
Appearance:
Golden
Nose:
Loads of fudge and raisin! It’s quite incredible how much sherry adjacent flavours ex-cognac or French oak can actually provide.

You would be mistaken for thinking this was a sherry finish upon the first nose, but after a little more time in the glass you begin to get notes of red apple, caramel, more raisin, a little touch of classic Glenlivet with apricot and jasmine.
Palate:
This feels as buttery and rich as it’s younger sibling bottle, but has some bigger things going on above and below the surface.

You get a lot of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Very winter spices/baking spices. Underneath that is marinated fruit, baked apples, more cinnamon, slightly bitter oak, orange oil, lemon oil and that sweet note of fudge appearing again.
Finish:
The finish takes a more unusual note, mostly in the sense that French oak can provide some very ginger or pepper driven tastes, this certainly leans on the ginger side of it. Think candied ginger in syrup. That along with more syrupy sweetness of fudge, apple and raisin.
Comments:
This is a noticable step up in the Glenlivet range, it’s nice to see French oak being a dominant force in comparison to ex-sherry or ex-port casks. It’s nice to have a different kind of cask make waves in a very busy area of Scottish whisky.

I personally prefer the 12 year old, I think it has a refreshing quality that is almost impossible to be beaten. However, subjectively, this is a richer, deeper and is a single malt that has much more going on when compared to its younger brother bottle.

The level of richness through fudge, marinated fruit, syrups and that little pinch of ginger jut on the finish gives this single alt quite a lot to talk about when compared to other bottles in a similar age and price point.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Phil Dwyer

Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant. With a decade of experience in whisky retail and nearly as long running Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, Phil is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with fellow whisky lovers. His goal is to make whisky accessible and enjoyable, dispelling the jargon and complexity that can sometimes surround the spirit. In addition to his online presence, Phil managed The Whisky Shop Manchester, where he curated an impressive selection of some of the finest drams available.

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