While there are a healthy number of cocktails that call for Scotch, there aren’t quite enough of them to earn Scotch a place in our best bottles for beginning a home bar list. That doesn’t mean that Scotch might not be one of the first bottles you add to that list though. Used in Rob Roys, Blood and Sands, Whisk(e)y Highballs, Pencillins, and the Bobby Burns, Scotch is very much a great next step if you find your self in love with Manhattans, bourbon, or Anejo tequilas or Mezcal. And perhaps few are known better than The Glenlivet 12.
The Glenlivet 12
The Glenlivet distillery has been operating since 1824 (only closing for World War II), and produces almost 6 million annual liters of whiskey. The distillery is owned by Pernod-Ricard. While the majority of the production become The Glenlivet, the distillery also produces the blended Chivas Regal.
Sight: A bright gold with a consistent edge.
Smell: There’s a beautiful start of gentle vanilla that is slowly joined by various fruity elements. The fruits are diverse, with notes of apple, kumquat, pineapple, dried mango, and more. A subtle flaky pastry or cookie like note hangs around as well.
Sip: The body is smooth and rich, and maintains its character without bringing in significant heat. The palate opens up into notes of vanilla, stone fruit, pineapple, with touches of heather, toasted hazelnuts, and toasted oak.
Savor: The ending has just the slightest hint of heat, but brings a nice rich nutty character on the finish with hints of minerality.
The Glenlivet 12 has a nice, rich, round offering that demonstrates the initial complexity single malt scotch can offer without breaking the bank. The blend is by no means the deepest or most pensive, but it is easy going, welcoming, and quite tasty for the price. The flavors of tropical fruits and vanilla are well balanced, and the nuttiness on the end offers a compelling reason to sip it. Overall, there’s nothing wrong with a simple dram of this on it’s own.
In Cocktails
The Glenlivet 12 adds a smooth character and richness to cocktails. In a Bobby Burns, it wonderfully compliments both the Drambuie and sweet vermouth while adding in hints of nuttiness and floral touches. Within a highball, the nuttiness comes through, but the richness cut from the club soda tempers some of the tropical notes, giving way to more touches of oak and heather. The whiskey is the star here, but is remains subtle in its character.
Looking for a cocktail? Try it in a Bobby Burns or Bobby Burns No. 2
The Glenlivet 12 Overall
The Glenlivet 12 is a a nice, easy going, enjoyable single malt scotch that plays nice in cocktails without breaking the banking. To a certain extent, it’s very much a gateway scotch, something to open the door to what scotch can be, but not becoming the star itself. Furthermore, it’s widely known and widely available These characteristics add up to make it a great choice to use in a home bar for a cocktail, and earn it a recommendation from us.