The Glenlivet 25 Year Old is a single malt Scotch whisky from Speyside, matured for 25 years and finished in two cask types: Pedro Ximénez sherry casks and Tronçais oak cognac casks. Bottled at 43%.
The Glenlivet distillery lies in the valley of the River Livet in the Speyside region, near Ballindalloch. It is the oldest legal distillery in the parish of Glenlivet, founded in 1824 and operating almost continuously ever since. This particular expression forms part of The Glenlivet Sample Room Collection. This 25-year-old version was created by fully finishing the whisky, in unique proportions, in first-fill Pedro Ximénez sherry casks and in Tronçais oak cognac casks.
On the nose, the producer notes fresh lemon peel, toasted cinnamon and orange blossom. On the palate the profile is complex: notes of sweet fig and blood orange are complemented by warming ginger, toasted oak and a hint of charred pineapple. There are also chocolate ganache, plum jam and manuka honey. The finish is long and sweet, with delicate spicy notes.
An independent Wine Enthusiast review describes the colour as deep amber, with fruit and spice leading the profile. The palate opens with dried cherry and oak, and a drop of water reveals chestnut, lemon curd and vanilla, with flashes of peach, Muscat grapes and violets; on the exhale a trace of bonfire smoke gathers, along with drying accents of leather and black pepper.