Having established its legacy as a foundational Speyside malt, The Glenlivet continues to evolve in the modern era, balancing heritage with innovation and accessibility. From non-age statement releases to cocktail-friendly bottlings, the brand’s modern portfolio shows how the brand stays relevant in today’s whisky world.
Why Did The Glenlivet Replace the 12 Year Old With Founder’s Reserve (& What’s Different)?
In 2015, declining stocks of mature whisky led The Glenlivet to discontinue the 12 Year Old expression in established markets, replacing the bottling with the non-age statement Founder’s Reserve. The introduction of Founder’s Reserve was a strategy designed to maintain an entry-level expression for the brand while enabling The Glenlivet’s aging whisky stocks to recover – Glenlivet’s capacity had increased to 10.5 million liters annually in 2010, following the installation of new stills.
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In September 2017, owner Chivas Brother announced plans to reintroduce the 12 Year Old within three years, once stocks had recovered. The Glenlivet 12 Year Old returned sooner to the UK market, with small quantities released from July 2018, prior to reintroduction in global markets. A second distillery was commissioned in 2018, increasing production to 21 million liters annually ensuring the future of aging stocks. Whilst the 12 Year Old has relaunched, Founder’s Reserve has been retained as another entry-level expression – largely due to successful sales of 280,000 cases annually in 2017.
Aside from the lack of age statement, which means Founder’s Reserve marries casks with a range of ages, the two expressions use different cask maturations. Representing The Glenlivet’s signature style, the 12 Year Old is first matured in traditional European oak casks, before spending time in American oak casks. The Founder’s Reserve combines a selection of European oak casks and American first-fill oak casks, which impart the creamy sweetness and citrus notes.
Why Is The Glenlivet Nadurra So Sought After Since Being Discontinued?
The Glenlivet Nadurra is sought after because the expression represents a ‘natural’ expression, bottled at cask strength without any additional coloring or chill-filtration showcasing the true character of the distillery’s spirit matured in small batches. In Gaelic, the name ‘Nadurra’ means ‘natural’. The Glenlivet Nadurra First Fill was launched to the duty-free market in 2005, and matured in American White Oak casks. In 2006, a Nadurra 16 Year Old was introduced to the distillery’s core range – becoming one of the first big brands to extoll the virtues of bottling cask strength expressions.
Shortages of older maturing stocks led the Nadurra 16 Year Old to be discontinued in 2014, replaced by three non-age statement expressions, First Fill, First Fill Oloroso, and Peated Whisky Cask Finish. The three Nadurra expressions were released in small numbered batches over the following years, but have since also been discontinued. As each Nadurra small batch represented a unique perspective and flavors of The Glenlivet’s style, different expressions have become sought after amongst whisky enthusiasts and cask strength fans seeking to sample different expressions.
What Makes The Glenlivet A Good Introduction To Single Malt Scotch?
The Glenlivet is considered a good introduction to single malt scotch whisky because of The Glenlivet’s signature smooth fruity style, with floral notes and gentle spices making it approachable for new whisky drinkers. The whisky is widely available, with a renowned history as a quality Speyside single malt, which due to its typically fruity character is regarded as beginner-friendly.
What’s The Best Way To Drink The Glenlivet For Beginners?
The Glenlivet is a smooth and balanced single malt scotch whisky that can be enjoyed neat, with a few drops of water or served over ice. For cocktail drinkers, The Glenlivet is a versatile mixer, ideal for crafting classic recipes and innovative serves – the brand’s website features a cocktail library with recipes for every expression. Glenlivet’s Scotch Spring Matcha is the perfect spring cocktail with tropical fruit flavors of coconut and lime, the recipe can be found below:
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Scottish Spring Matcha
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve
- 2 oz. Cream of coconut
- ¼ oz. Matcha
- ½ oz. Lime juice
Instructions:
- Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
- Shake and strain.
- Garnish the top with matcha dusting and edible flowers.
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