Once we tried it, he totally agreed with me about how nasty it was. I couldn't stop laughing due to his facial expression. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, they lie, it's worth at least a million words. We take great pride in setting the standard that all other Speyside single malts are measured by and our dedicated distillery collection is the culmination of our 200 years of experience. These exclusive bottles are usually only available directly from our distillery gift shop but are now available for delivery to your doorstep. Each of these unique expressions captures The Glenlivet’s signature style and the spirit of the glen itself. Indulging in a distinctive drop from the comfort of your own home is the next best thing to a visit to our home in Speyside.

In just two years after the act, the number of licensed distilleries doubled and legal whisky production rose from two million to six million gallons a year. Glenlivet was so prestigious that it gave its name to the whole region, now known as Speyside. To help preserve his brand, George Smith’s son, John Gordon Smith, applied for sole rights to the name, which were granted in 1884 but allowed other producers to hyphenate it with their own names eg. Glenfarclas-Glenlivet, which is still seen today, though very rarely. Which is why the original is known grandly as THE Glenlivet to differentiate itself from all those hyphenated Glenlivets.The finish lasts forever, with the fruit, peaches, pears and spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, lasting forever, lingering on and on before finally vanishing with just the slightest wisp of spice. Both Squidgy and myself love Vinesh dearly, but this is one area where I disagree with him on whisky. Squidgy and myself have been able to enjoy this whisky multiple times now due in large part to Vinesh and Laura Hay, and a huge thank you goes out to the both of them. I originally got my start writing about whisky talking about the important things. These things were not just tasting notes, or the history of the distillery or the history of the barrel. Othmar and I stared at one another in amazement, the nose was lovely, the palate to die for, unfreaking believable!

Smith began production in Upper Drumin, on the land he leased from his landlord the Duke of Gordon, and exactly 25 years later a second distillery was opened to meet rising demand. The Cairngorm-Delnabo Distillery, as it was called, proved unable to quell demand even with production output doubled, and construction began on a final larger distillery which would centralize the work and consolidate the operation. Nose: Sherry-derived purple grape and orange. Vanilla-smooth yet with that sharp sherry overtone like almond skins. Eventually... seems less fruity and more malty, like walnut baklava. These things were the events surrounding the tasting of tasting of the whisky, who I was with, what was happening and even more important, what that wound up meaning to me in regards to the whisky. It wasn't until after Perth that I found out how much they appreciated my help. They said that I could have free access to any Whisky Live in the country and invited me to attend the rest of the cities in Australia.

I'd just had a nip of the Glenlivet 18 year old, when Laura Hay called me over. She told me that she'd been informed that I was a serious whisky lover, a hardcore whisky lover and if I came through a little bit later when it had quieted down a wee bit she might have a special surprise for me. Therefore, it was a natural leap to legal production when the Excise Act and one of its greatest proponents, Duke Alexander Gordon, gave Smith a bit of a push towards the straight and narrow path.