The Glenlivet Spectra Whiskey Gift Set, 3x20cl

Product Information

Overall: There is no reason for the Scotch Whisky Association to worry if tequila cask matured whisky is going to taste like this. 7 Normally when we write about new releases from well-known distilleries, it’s all about the cask. Our customers want to know as much as possible about how their whisky has been aged: Were the casks first fill or refill? Were they made with European or American oak? What did the casks hold before? Bourbon? Rum? Marsala? Sherry? What kind of sherry? From which bodega? Were they recharred? And most importantly, how long did the whisky spend in barrel? Nose: What’s happening here? Sweet barbecue sauce, burning wood and a handful of singed leaves? This not what I expect from Glenlivet… Damp peat smoke, menthol and fresh sea breeze follow. Floral notes and crisp apple develop.

How this particular boxed set works is that a “bespoke digital experience that transports whisky lovers into a multi-sensory world, allowing them to explore their own palate and personally interpret the elusive tasting notes of each expression.” To this end “whisky drinkers will be given cryptic hints and challenged to put their tasting abilities to the test as they seek to determine what flavour profiles make each bottle unique. At the end of each tasting, users are given a personalised scorecard showing how close they are to decoding each of the three mysterious single malts.”

Overall: If it was up to me, this would be #1 or 2 in the series. It’s soft and nice enough, but feels like a downgraded version of Glenlivet’s amazing 18 year old. 7 Palate: A sweet vanilla entry builds to mild to moderate smoke, more smoldering than billowing, with caramelized pears and plantains beneath the haze. The peppery finish brings cinnamon, clove, menthol, jalapeño, and coffee bean, but the final note is that signature clean, fruity Glenlivet sweetness. Fun to taste a smoky Glenlivet!

Oh, SPOILER ALERT: if you don’t want to know anything about the whiskies, jump to the bottom of the post and ignore my tasting notes. The Glenlivet Spectra Taste: Dual herbal and sweet layers run together side by side. On one hand is the cinnamon, heated butter, brown sugar, and milk chocolate. On the other is the basil, rosemary, mint, liquorice, and cherry Tylenol. They complement each other nicely. Unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise, your use of and membership to the Service are exclusively governed by Dutch law. We shall first try to settle any dispute over a dram of whisky. Disputes that cannot be settled over multiple drams of whisky shall be solely submitted to the court of Amsterdam, The Netherlands unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise. This year’s release is called Glenlivet Spectra and rather than being one whisky, it’s three, showing the range of flavour you can get from a single distillery – the spectrum of flavour, if you will.

Nose: Fresh and floral – vanilla, grass and meadows. Nice biscuits and a hint of lemon. Apple and ripe pear notes develop along with caramel shortbread. Each and every Member must be of legal drinking age in its country of residence to be allowed to use the Service. If no such law exists in a Member’s country of residence, the Member has to be over 21 years old to use the Service. We have the right to ask you to provide proof of your age and/or to provide further identification to prevent underage usage and/or for any other legal or legitimate purpose. By using the Service, and by creating an account you represent, warrant and confirm that you are of legal age. In short: mission accomplished – these are all definitely Glenlivet, but they are all very much their own drams. From zingy to smoky to rich and toffee-laden, it’s a demonstration that with a few tweaks here and there in the whisky-making process can lead to a very different end result. The Glenlivet Spectra. Image via Margarett Waterbury (The Whiskey Wash) Tasting Notes: The Glenlivet Spectra no. 1 Description: A whisky released specifically to be enjoyed in highballs, it was produced at the Loch Lomond distillery. Because it’s using a mix of grain and malt whisky, it has to be classified as a ‘blend’ even though it was produced at one facility.

Palate: Also very ripely fruited, with ripe pears and peaches and more pineapple building to a creamy, pleasantly buttery mid-palate. The finish is dry, oaky, and nutty, with a touch of bitter almond giving structure to a gentle afterglow of warm vanilla. To me, this is very much in Glenlivet’s wheelhouse, and it’s a style they’ve really perfected. The Service has been prepared by us solely for information purposes to Members and the Service is based on information we consider reliable and we obtain the contents of the Service from a number of different third party sources (including Contributions), but we do not endorse, support, represent, warrant or guarantee the completeness, truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of the Services and any information therein. We deliver to a number of international destinations including the USA. Please use the 'Change Location' link above for an estimate in your local currency or find out more about international deliveryAnd now there’s Spectra, it sounds like something to do with James Bond but it’s actually a trio of Scotch whiskies in 20cl bottles filled at 40% ABV. Winchester commented: “ The Glenlivet Spectra is the first limited edition we’ve created that comes as a trio of single malts. We wanted to craft a series of whisky expressions that stretch the smooth and fruity house style into three different directions.” The idea is that without knowing anything about them, you just appreciate the spectrum of flavours. Oh, that’s where the name comes from, it’s the plural of spectrum. Very clever Glenlivet. Nose: Vanilla toffee with a hint of mint to start. Soft spice builds with fudge and leafy hints. Creamy apple, orange, peach and spongecake follow.

Palate: Light, delicate and creamy: apples, pears and green leaves. The floral notes from the nose build, along with more biscuits and a touch of lemon shortbread. Without prejudice to the section Liability below, the Service may be temporarily unavailable during maintenance, updates, etc. We shall make reasonable efforts to inform you of any unavailability due to maintenance or updates. Simon Wittenberg takes a look at The Glenlivet’s new limited trio of single malt Scotch whiskies that leaves people guessing…Palate: Very creamy, with loads of spiced apple sauce and a touch of clove-studded orange. Wine-poached pears are drizzled with toffee sauce and crumbled spiced biscuits. The full tasting notes and cask information will be revealed later this year, which will enable drinkers to fully uncover the expertly crafted tasting notes contained within The Glenlivet Spectra.