| Region of production: | Speyside |
| Distillery Location: | Ballindalloch, Moray |
| Year Established: | 1824 |
Top Spirits Produced
- Core Range: Founder’s Reserve
- Travel (Duty Free) Range: Master Distiller’s Reserve, Master Distiller’s Reserve Solera Vatted, Master Distiller’s Reserve Small Batch
- Special Ranges:
- Heritage: First Fill 12 Years Old, French Oak Reserve 15 Years Old, 18 Years Old, Archive 21 Years Old, XXV, The Winchester Collection 1966
- Nàdurra: Oloroso, First Fill Selection, Peated Whisky Cask Finish
Average Total Production
- 10.5 million liters neutral spirit before aging
Summary
Through the efforts of George Smith, The Glenlivet was among the first distilleries to gain a license immediately after the 1823 Excise Act. Smith is remembered for always traveling with loaded pistols as protection from his neighbors, still illegal whisky traders. After his passing in 1871, his son John Gordon Smith assumed control. The whisky continued to gain popularity and eventually competition from the surrounding distillers, who had been appending the Glenlivet name to their own production. In 1880, John Gordon Smith won the sole legal rights to use the name.
The Glenlivet’s popularity surged when the Pullman Train Company began serving miniature bottles of its Scotch in 1933. In 1952, The Glenlivet merged with J. & J. Grant of Glen Grant Distillery, and a purchase by Seagram (owned by Chivas Brothers Holdings) followed in 1978. Pernod Ricard and Diageo acquired Seagram in 2001, and The Glenlivet remains under the Pernod Ricard umbrella. Today, it has the highest sales of any single malt whisky in the US.
Style & Distillation Techniques
Known for its balanced and smooth flavor profile, The Glenlivet prides itself on being one of the first distilleries to establish the traditional Speyside style of whisky. The spirits are expected to carry a fruity, pineapple note, differentiating them from many of the richer styles that were once more popular.
Producer Website: Glenlivet