I've Tasted Hundreds of Scotch Whiskies. This Affordable Classic Is Perfect for Easy Sipping
Elegant, fruity, and balanced, The Glenlivet 12 is the perfect Scotch to drink in the warmer months of the year. It shines as a smooth neat sipper or as the backbone of a whisky cocktail.
It's been a favorite for a long time; The Glenlivet is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. As the first legal distillery in the Speyside region of Scotland, the brand's 12 Year has become emblematic of the Speyside style of whisky, characterized notes of honey, vanilla, and orchard fruit, and in most cases, the absence of peat smoke.
The Glenlivet also has a rich history in the U.S., arriving after Prohibition as the first whisky marketed to Americans as “single malt,” meaning it's made from a mash bill of 100 percent malted barley at one distillery rather than blended together from the casks of multiple distilleries.
Of all the brand's whiskies, The Glenlivet 12 Single Malt Scotch Whisky remains the most popular. Simply put, it's hard to beat its mix of refinement and affordability. Here's everything you need to know about it.
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The Glenlivet 12 at a Glance
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- Bottom Line: The Glenlivet 12 Single Malt Scotch Whisky is an affordable single malt with a pedigree that is second to none, and no matter how you like your whisky—neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail—you’ll find reason to love it.
- Type: Single malt Scotch whisky.
- Proof: 40 percent ABV, 80 proof.
- Age: Minimum 12 years.
- Mash Bill: 100 percent malted barley
- Appearance: Amontillado sherry, deep copper.
- Nose: Bright, malty, floral, fruity.
- Mouthfeel: Creamy, peppery, medium-bodied.
- Taste: Honey, vanilla, pineapple, pears, umami, floral notes.
- Finish: Medium finish, beginning sweet and soft and ending dry.
- Price: $56
Pros and Cons of The Glenlivet 12
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Widely available and affordable. | Not as bold or complex as other Scotch whiskies. |
Versatile for sipping and cocktails. | Due to low ABV, too much ice or water will dilute flavor. |
Accessible for Scotch newbies. |
The Glenlivet 12 Review
Most days at 5 p.m., my mother-in-law grabs a bottle of The Glenlivet 12 and a Tervis tumbler, liberally pours a dram, adds ice and water, and gets the night rolling. Her love for The Glenlivet (and my love for her daughter) made me a fan.
I used to think Scotch was something for dark rooms with leather club chairs and cigars, not for citrusy cocktails in the daylight. But lighter than bourbon and more elegant than rye in a whisky sour, The Glenlivet 12 showed me the sunny side of Scotch. It became a warm weather go-to on the rocks, with soda, and in cocktails.
To get behind the curtain with The Glenlivet 12, I reached out to The Glenlivet cask master Kevin Balmforth, who's responsible for helping maintain the consistency of Glenlivet whiskies from batch to batch, among other things.
“I’ve worked on The Glenlivet 12 Year Old for almost 25 years, and for me it’s always been the absolute pinnacle in single malt Scotch whisky—one which all others are measured against,” Balmforth says.
When Balmforth is making new whisky expressions, he literally measures them against 12 Year: “When we’re creating new expressions, this is the whisky we come back to, time and again, comparing and contrasting new flavors and finishes to ensure our latest expressions taste like part of The Glenlivet family,” he says.
The 12 Year is so important to the brand that they marked this year’s 200th anniversary with a special Limited Edition of the 12 Year.
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How to Drink The Glenlivet 12
The Glenlivet 12 doesn’t come with any rules.
“While you might like to enjoy a dram neat, this isn’t essential,” says Balmforth. “The Glenlivet 12 Year Old tastes just as exceptional in a high ball with a splash of soda water as it does after dinner over ice. Although, if you do add ice, I would suggest choosing bigger ice cubes, which melt slowly, instead of lots of small ice cubes.” Because the ABV is 40 percent (80 proof), small ice cubes can make it taste too watered down.
As for cocktails, Balmforth is a big fan of mixing The Glenlivet 12 into a whisky sour: “I love the sweet, citrusy notes, and an egg white is a must,” he says. Note again that, because of The Glenlivet 12's low ABV, serve cocktails straight up instead of on the rocks.
Due to its versatility, The Glenlivet 12 also pairs great with food, says Balmforth: “For me, pairing The Glenlivet 12-Year-Old with the savory, salty flavors of cheeses like brie, comte, or a creamy blue brings out the sweeter profile of the single malt whisky. This contrast really works.”
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History of The Glenlivet 12
Speyside is now the epicenter of Scotch whisky. But two centuries ago, when The Glenlivet first went legal, you couldn’t even access the area by road. In his book Whiskypedia: A Compendium of Scotch Whisky, Charles Maclean describes early 19th century Speyside as a "wild and remote place that bred a bold and self-reliant people."
The distillery was named for the Duke of Gordon’s Glenlivet Estate, which in turn had been named for the River Livet—a tributary of the Spey River that gives the wider area its name. Not unlike Appalachia in the U.S., the remote terrain made it a perfect place for illicit stills, which proliferated here from the 1700s on, and had the best reputation for whisky in all of Scotland. The Duke turned a blind eye to the moonshiners because they used their profits to pay him rent.
Then came the Excise Act in 1823, which allowed legal stills to those willing to pay taxes. In 1824, The Glenlivet became the first distillery to go legit, thereby becoming the first branded Scotch ever. Among its famous early admirers, King George IV became a fan during a Scotland visit, and Charles Dickens praised the whisky on record.
The appellation "Glenlivet" was also used by other nearby distilleries until the founder’s son went to court in 1884 and won the designation of "The" Glenlivet.
After Prohibition, The Glenlivet was the first single malt marketed to the U.S., according to Maclean's book. A lot of its stateside sales were mini bottles made to be sipped aboard Pullman trains and ocean liners.
But where does The Glenlivet 12 fit into this long history?
“Although this expression’s history doesn’t quite stretch all the way back to The Glenlivet’s inception, I often think of the 12-Year-Old as The Glenlivet’s flagship single malt,” says Balmforth. He believes it best exemplifies the brand’s signature fruity profile, which includes “orchard fruits and ripe bananas alongside the sweeter honey and toffee influences that come from ex-bourbon barrels.”
How Does The Glenlivet Make 12 Year?
The Glenlivet 12 is a single malt whisky distilled copper pot stills in a single distillery in the heart of Speyside. It's double cask matured, first in European oak casks then American oak casks, for a minimum of 12 years and proofed down to 40 percent ABV (80 proof).
For Balmforth, the 200th anniversary of the distillery means it's a special year for him to reflect on his own experiences with Glenlivet.
“From the hundreds of trips I’ve taken to Speyside since 1999, watching over our casks, to working closely with previous master distiller, Alan Winchester, I’m happy to have played a part in bringing the reliable and distinctive taste of The Glenlivet to whisky drinkers around the world,” he says.
Due to the nature of aged whisky, Balmforth is always to planning ahead. He must consider anything happening today—such as uncontrollable weather patterns or economic variables like cask production—that might impact future batches. As of this writing, he says he’s working on Glenlivet 12 Year Old that won’t hit shelves until 2036. Here's hoping we all get to enjoy it.
If You Like The Glenlivet 12, You’ll Also Like…
Glenmorangie 10
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Affordable and bottled the same proof as The Glenlivet 12, Glenmorangie 10 has the same cocktail and sipping versatility. Aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks, you can really taste the vanilla and honey notes. A perfect Scotch for a hot afternoon garden party.
Glenfiddich 12
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Glenfiddich is the highest-selling Speyside single malt whisky worldwide for good reason, and the brand's 12 Year is its signature, best-selling whisky. It’s matured in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry casks, and bottled at 40 percent ABV, so stick to the single rock rule.
Balvenie DoubleWood 12
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The original double cask matured single malt, Balvenie DoubleWood 12 is aged in American oak ex-bourbon casks and European oak ex-sherry casks. It’s an elegant whisky produced in Glenfiddich’s boutique sister distillery in Speyside.
Benromach 10
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If you like the Speyside style, but you desire a slight hint of peat, then Benromach 10 is the single malt for you. It’s matured in a mix of bourbon and sherry casks and has just enough smoke to add complexity—but not enough to throw the honeyed fruitiness out of balance.
Why You Should Trust Me
I've been writing about bars, cocktails, and spirits for 16 years—and, before that, I bartended for more than a decade at Hollywood's legendary Chateau Marmont Hotel. In one way or another, I've been employed in the realm of booze since the turn of the millennium.
Scotch whisky has a special place in my heart. To better understand it, I have made three trips to Scotland, visiting distilleries in different whisky producing regions to meet and interview the people who dedicate their lives to making it.
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