Fans of Glenlivet may recall a bit of noise in September last year when Ian Logan, International Brand Ambassador for Chivas Bros (Glenlivet, Chivas Regal, etc), flew into town to present a series of Masterclasses that were co-ordinated through Vintage Cellars. Attendees were presented with three unique expressions of Glenlivet, aptly named Classic, Exotic, and Revival, and asked to vote for their favourite of the three. The same exercise was undertaken in 36 other countries around the world, in order to find out which of the three would be the global hit. A month or two ago, it was subsequently revealed that “Exotic” got the gong, evidently winning favour with the majority of tasters. Personally, I was pretty chuffed with that outcome, as Exotic was certainly the expression that got my vote, and it was the hands-down winner in the session that I attended.
That same whisky – Exotic – has now been bottled and released as a Limited Edition, and launches this month in Australia, badged as “The Guardians’ Chapter“. More about the whisky in a moment…
For me, the whisky itself is only half of the story. The other half relates to the Guardians of The Glenlivet. The name sounds like some sort of group or sect you’d encounter in Lord of the Rings, but it’s basically Glenlivet’s fan club, set up to both reward and incorporate its loyal drinkers. Ever since Laphroaig launched the Friends of Laphroaig club back in 1994, many other brands and distilleries have followed suit and created similar clubs (e.g. The Ardbeg Committee, Balvenie Warehouse 24, etc), and such initiatives are a tremendous vehicle for better connecting whisky drinkers with the distilleries they love.
Signing up as a Glenlivet Guardian has its benefits – not the least of which was the chance to participate in this crowd-sourced whisky! Being a Guardian also gives you members-only access to private tastings, limited edition releases, and exclusive downloads. And if you visit the distillery, you’ll also be granted access to the Guardians’ Library. Reached by a narrow, almost secret set of stairs, you can enjoy a complimentary dram in some VERY nice surrounds. Below is a photo I took inside the library during my 2011 visit. (Incidentally, the exterior shot above was taken on the same day).
But back to the whisky. Glenlivet is one of the mighty brands – indeed, it is the distillery that nearly every other distiller in Speyside (and beyond) tried to emulate or ride on the coat-tails of when its name became synonymous with quality whisky in the 19th century. Today, it is the biggest selling malt whisky in the USA, and – since the distillery expansion in 2009/10 – it is now one of the biggest producing distilleries in Scotland. Its flagship 12yo expression is simply classic Scotch whisky, offering sweet maltiness, soft citrus, and that textbook Speyside grassiness.
And that is where and why the Glenlivet Guardians Chapter release (pictured above) is such a winner – because it offers a new and unique colour on the Glenlivet spectrum. The regular 12yo expression is crafted using almost entirely ex-bourbon barrels, with very little sherry influence. The Guardians Chapter, in contrast, uses a higher proportion of sherry butts in the vatting, thus injecting a healthy dose of dried fruits, nuts, spice, and sweetness.
This limited-edition release (there are only 2,000 cases available worldwide) has been bottled at 48.7% and is non chill-filtered. In my book, these two things instantly make it a dram worth paying attention to. (Again, it also provides further contrast and a point of difference from the regular core-range bottlings, which are bottled at 40 or 43% and are chill-filtered).
I make no secret of the fact that I love sherried whiskies, and that’s one of the reasons the Glenlivet Guardians Chapter pushes my buttons. No, it’s not heavily sherried, like a Glenfarclas or Aberlour a’Bunadh for example, but it strikes a good balance that many other vattings of different cask types struggle to get right. On the palate, it shares some of the features of the 18yo, which has long been famed for its depth and richness in flavour, and its luxurious mouthfeel. But enough blether – how about some tasting notes, right?
The nose is a classic Speyside nose, and the Glenlivet DNA is readily identifiable. The sherry is soft, gentle, and well integrated – it sits happily in the vatting and doesn’t dominate or upset the balance. I also found hints of cloves, ginger snap biscuits, and white pepper.
The palate was gentle and caressing in texture (bear in mind that most of the whisky I sample and drink is cask-strength, so 48.7% was actually a step down for me!) but wonderfully rich, spicy, and invigorating. I found shortbread, dried fruits (raisins, apples, and figs), and hints of marmalade. The finish was medium in length, and stayed sweet.
If you enjoy Speyside whiskies and you’re looking for a whisky with a bit more zest, this is one malt I’m happy to recommend. It’s available exclusively through Vintage Cellars and will retail for around $115. And don’t forget that Limited Editions are…………..exactly that!
Cheers,
AD
For more info, see www.theglenlivet.com
Nice one Andrew! I will invest in a few I think 🙂