Unusual news from Glenlivet
In the last few days, two new products have arrived from one of the oldest, largest and most famous whisky distilleries in the Speyside region. Glenlivet, for it is referred to, has made its presence felt in the industry media with two launches, each of which is interesting and noteworthy in its own way.
To begin with, a new whisky, prepared for visitors to the distillery. The Glenlivet Distillery Reserve Collection 9yo Beer Cask Finish Edition, 57.8% vol., is a limited edition whisky, prepared in collaboration with the well-known Scottish brewery Innis & Gunn. This whisky was first matured in bourbon barrels, before being transferred for final maturation to Vanishing Point imperial stout barrels from the Innis & Gunn brewery. There is a role reversal of sorts here, as it is Innis & Gunn that is famous for maturing its beers in barrels of all kinds of liquor, including Scotch whisky. The whisky described here is the first time Glenlivet has been finished in beer casks.
According to the manufacturer, the new whisky's aroma offers notes of cookies with sugar syrup, cherries, caramel, honeycomb, nougat and tropical fruits. On the palate, we should expect accents of ginger, freshly grated nutmeg and delicate fruitiness. The edition is limited to 216 bottles and the retail price is set at £95.
The second novelty from the largest malt whisky producer from the Chivas Brothers stable is a product that is quite unusual for a Scottish distillery, although it is based on whisky. We are talking about two products in the new series The Glenlivet Twist & Mix Cocktails, whisky-based cocktails, prepared in ready-to-drink form - ready-to-drink. To start, two of the most popular whiskey cocktails were prepared, the Old Fashioned and the New Manhattan. However, it is known that the collection will not end with these two and we can expect more to come.
The cocktails proposed by Glenlivet differ from standard RTD (ready to drink) drinks in that the mixing of ingredients takes place only when the bottle is opened. Or at least parts of them. The patented Vessl® technology used here ensures that the ingredients are mixed shortly before consumption. All you have to do is unscrew the closure of the bottle, wait for the ingredients to mix, then pour the contents into glasses.
Twist & Mix Cocktails from Glenlivet continue the idea started in 2019 with The Glenlivet Cocktail Capsule Collection series. The Glenlivet Twist & Mix Old Fashioned and New Manhattan will initially only be available in the US market. The price of a single bottle has been set at $21.99.
Judging by the initial reactions posted on social media, the new cocktails from Glenlivet are being met with mixed reactions. Supporters of the traditional approach to single malt whisky seem to be outraged by the "profanation" of their favorite liquor, while a growing group of people who treat whisky with a bit more detachment are delighted. Whether the novelty will catch on, as usual, time will tell. After all, time is the most important factor in the world of whisky, including in this case.
Glenlivet Distillery, founded in 1824, was one of the first legal whisky factories in the area we now call Speyside. By legalizing production, its owner, George Smith, drew the ire of a sizable group of illegal moonshiners in the area. Legend has it that he never parted with a pair of pistols he had made for himself in case of attack. Glenlivet not only survived the most difficult period, but became a kind of benchmark of quality for other whisky producers. Many of them added the suffix Glenlivet to their name, even if they had nothing to do with the place from which George Smith's distillery took its name, the Livet River Valley (glen Livet). The suffix was used as a kind of quality designation. Today, Glenlivet is one of the two Scotch malt whisky producers with the largest production potential. After the latest expansion, it can produce as much as 21 million liters of pure alcohol per year. Glenlivet has also been welcoming tourists for years, and the distillery's Visitor Center recently received a significant investment and was rebuilt and modernized to better serve visitors to this region of Scotland all the better.
The House of Whisky Online offers an unusually wide selection of whiskies from Glenlivet - from budget whiskeys for casual, everyday consumption to old, rare and collector's editions.
[09.08.2023 / Photo: Chivas Brothers]