Whisky Review: The Glenlivet Rum and Bourbon Fusion Cask Selection

Editor’s Note: The party behind this whisky gave us a review sample. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Scotland’s The Glenlivet distillery, founded in 1824 by George Smith, has been aiming to innovate on the back of its long history of single malt whisky production. Recent examples of this have been the launch of The Glenlivet Twist & Mix Cocktails, a collection of premium ready-to-mix cocktails, and its newly renovated brand home in the Speyside region, using technology combined with exclusive bottlings, immersive tours, and whisky tastings to offer up a new type of distillery visitor experience.

More recently in its innovation wheelhouse, and the focus of today’s review, is the The Glenlivet Rum and Bourbon Fusion Cask Selection. In what the brand says is a first for Scotch, The Glenlivet single malt has been selectively finished (i.e., a portion only) in bespoke casks crafted by fusing dismantled rum and bourbon barrels.

More specifically, expert coopers dismantled and reassembled a hand-selected combination of first-fill rum and bourbon barrels into one bespoke cask. The idea behind it was “taking two separate flavors from outside The Glenlivet’s home in Scotland and bringing them together to create a taste experience that is one-of-a-kind for Scotch.”

“This category-first innovation continues our commitment and 200-year legacy of pushing boundaries in whisky,” said Kevin Balmforth, The Glenlivet Cask Expert, at the time of this whisky’s February debut. “As a team of makers at The Glenlivet, we work closely with our partners at the cooperage to ensure the handmade casks are of the highest quality, and this intricate dismantling and reassembling process to create new bespoke casks ensures a distinctive and expertly-crafted finish.”

According to the brand, the Glenlivet Rum and Bourbon Fusion Cask Selection, bottled at 40% ABV, is best enjoyed either neat or on the rocks. It was initially matured in American and European oak casks for an undisclosed amount of time before the bespoke cask finishing. It is priced around $100.