Glenlivet 15 YO starts with the distillery’s standard American and European oak maturation, the process that builds Glenlivet’s usual vanilla, honey and floral house character, before a portion of that spirit is transferred into French Limousin oak casks for a finishing period. Limousin oak, more commonly used to mature cognac, has a tighter grain and higher tannin than American oak, which draws out spicier, earthier notes and a drier structure. Glenlivet was one of the first Speyside distilleries to use French oak this way, and the result is a whisky recognisably from the same house but pushed toward nuttier, more mango-forward fruit.
CHARACTER
Caramel: rich toffee character on the nose
Chocolate: dark chocolate note from the biscuit-like nose
Mango: ripe fruit on the palate from the French oak finish
Cinnamon: warming spice through the nose and palate
Almond: nutty character rounding out the palate
Ginger: ginger-spiced biscuit on the nose
TASTING NOTES
NOSE- Rich toffee opens into dark chocolate and ginger-spiced biscuit.
PALATE- Fruity and nutty, with ripe mango, warming cinnamon and almond.
FINISH- Warm, mellow and gently spiced.
