The Glenlivet 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 70 cl with Gift Box

Product Information

Saw a picture on FB from Glenlivet about their 18 Year Single. They asked for flavors so I figured it was time to do another review.

On the palate, it's the red fruits that take center stage, accompanied by caramelised pears, sherry and malt. The whole is seasoned with some spices and there is influence of the oak as well. In the mouth: A tropical fruit salad with an intermission of French oak in the middle. Like on the nose, it’s initially tropical fruits. I get light and slightly lasting tastes of cantaloupe, pineapples, sapodilla, starfruit, Fuji apples, honey and dried apricots. There’s a sneaking, rising heat here too as I chew it. The French oak manifests in the form of mushrooms. Similar to the nose, I get subtle and brief tastes of dried shiitake mushrooms, chaga powder and leather. At the end are a subtle mix of more tropical fruit notes with something bitter. The bitterness makes me think of biting into a fresh coconut husk, as well as honeydew and different shades of orange. Conclusions: Since that times when The Glenlivet 12 YO leaves very pleasant memories about it I wanted to get some older The Glenlivet for a taste.

The finish is long, warm wave of malt and peat, with a return of the sherry smoke. Alongside that, the spice from the taste continues to keep your tongue tingling for a few minutes as well. Balance, Complexity: Good balance of sweet and sour. The apple does seem to dominate on the nose while the lemon seems to dominate in the mouth. However, the two seem to balance out. But complex? Not really. The tastes follow the nose. It's a ridiculously smooth, medium bodied dram with some wonderful complexity. White pepper, cinnamon, apples, pears, brown sugar, etc. Basically the body delivers on (almost) everything the nose promises. American oak comes in a bit later, weaving nicely in with the lingering spices. Great finish.

Finish: this is where the whisky really shines. Cherries, dark chocolate and walnuts with nutmeg, cloves, oak and raisins lingering longer than expected. Very balanced.

Finish: Oaky and short and round. No real fireworks to speak of; it just sort of falls flat and dull. There is apple there but that is about it. I’ve sampled Glenlivet drams before, but this one caught my eye as I had some spare cash at the end of the month, and this looked like great value for the price! This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. Adding water brings out some sharper notes on the nose. Bright orange zest comes through and dark chocolate shines through on the palate. Water thins out the body of the whisky, but brings forth more spiciness, especially nutmeg. The addition of water is interesting, but I prefer this one neat.The trade-off between body and spiciness isn't worth it to me.

For about twice the price, you can buy something considerably more mature and complex. It's a deeper, darker 'livet, but still not too heavy. No partnership, joint venture, agency, or employment relationship is created as a result of your use of the Service. If we decide not to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms, such decision shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. One of my favourite Malts, the xtra 3% ABV over the 40% 12 YO makes a significant difference, as well as the age.However Systemdown assured me that Nadurra was a good little whisky and he proved me correct with his sample of Nadurra and so when I saw the 18 year old Glenlivet I was a little intrigued.

This dram is basically what you'd expect to get from a mature Glenlivet. It's got the smooth, inoffensive every-man qualities that makes the brand so popular, but with the wonderful mature complexity that comes with age. However, I may not buy this one again, at least not for a while. Where I live it is literally double the price of the 12. The 12 is certainly not as good. But is it worth paying double for? Don't get me wrong, it truly is considerably better than the twelve. I've yet to see how the 15 year old French oak measures up, but I digress... Nose: very light caramel. The word crisp comes to mind; like the smell of a crisp apple and/or pear freshly cut. Fresh air blowing through the woods. Nose (undiluted): Though the nose is a bit understated, the sherry cask influence is evident with dried fruits, but with more brightness than the raisins and dates profile I typically associate with sherried whisky. Dried cranberries and raisins perhaps. Cherries. Vanilla frosting, icing sugar, oak. I previously tasted the Glenlivet 12 Year Old and the no longer made 12 Year Old French Oak Finish (replaced by the 15 Year Old French Oak) and now this 18 Year Old, of which I had received a sample from my friend Niek. Like a lot of the easily accessible whisky, it’s a lot more presentable on the nose. It’s very coherent and enticing. Once you get in the mouth, though, it’s a mess. The flavors get all bungled up, and a watery texture doesn’t help either. I feel like the finish was the best part because the flavors get their act together in that moment.Apples, pears, hint of oak, honey, again a little floral, vanilla, caramel. But it's balanced very nicely. The whisky matures for a set period: 12 years, 25 years or even more. This is when the whisky develops most of its flavour. Nose: strong citrus aromas, malt, slightly earthy and floral. (opens up with a few drops of water, floral aromas het much more intense)