Glenlivet

Glenlivet is one of the most famous names in scotch whisky. This renowned Speyside distillery was founded by illicit distiller, George Smith in 1822, and was the first distillery in Scotland to obtain a license after the Excise Act was introduced in 1823 – meaning that it could produce spirit legally. The brand quickly became known for its quality and has since become the second-best-selling single malt in the world (and the best-selling in the US). Glenlivet is now owned by Pernod Ricard. 

The original distillery was based at Smith’s Upper Drummin farm, but a new facility was built in Ballindalloch in 1859 – where production remains to this day. It has two mash tuns, 32 washbacks and 14 copper stills. Water is sourced from Josie’s Well, a nearby spring, and malted barley is taken from Crisp Maltings in Portgordon. All of this helps Glenlivet create a light, fruity and floral whisky, that’s typical of the Speyside region. While most of this is reserved for single malt releases, some is used for blends such as Chivas Regal.

The entry-level offering from Glenlivet is the Founder’s Reserve, which was released in 2014 as a tribute to George Smith. Although this originally replaced  the 12 Year Old in the range, the Glenlivet 12 has since returned as the brand’s flagship expression. Alongside these more traditional bottlings, Glenlivet has also experimented with different wood finishes, such as with their Caribbean Reserve, which uses rum casks, and the Glenlivet 15, which uses Limousin oak from France.