The Glenlivet
The whisky that defined the Speyside style: fruity, soft, and approachable. Everything about the types, the taste, how to drink it, and the right glass to enjoy it in.
Speyside's first legal distillery
The Glenlivet is a single malt from the Livet Valley in Speyside, Scotland. In 1824, George Smith became the first in the area to receive an official distilling license, to the fury of the illegal distillers around him; he carried two pistols for years. The distillery became so well known that other distillers started calling their whisky 'Glenlivet', until Smith won the right to the name with the article, The Glenlivet, in 1884.
The whisky is the textbook example of the Speyside style: light, fruity, and soft, with apple, pear, vanilla, and flowers, without smoke. It is the best-selling single malt in the United States and one of the biggest in the world. In addition to the classic 12 Years, there are the Founder's Reserve, the 15 Years French Oak, the 18, and the 21 Years. The Glenlivet is part of Pernod Ricard.
In brief
What types of The Glenlivet are there?
From the entry-level Founder's Reserve to the 21 Years: all soft and fruity, with increasing depth and price.
The Glenlivet 12 Years
The classic: twelve years in American and European oak. Apple, pear, vanilla, and a soft, rounded finish.
Founder's Reserve
The entry-level expression, partly aged in new American oak. Sweet, light, and creamy, with citrus and toffee.
Caribbean Reserve
Finished in casks that previously held Caribbean rum. Sweeter and more tropical, with banana and brown sugar.
15 Years French Oak Reserve
Partly aged in French Limousin oak, known for cognac. Richer and spicier, with nuts and spices.
The Glenlivet 18 Years
Aged for eighteen years in first- and second-fill American and European oak. Full, rich, and complex, with dried fruit and orange.
The Glenlivet 21 Years
Finished in oloroso sherry, cognac, and port casks. Caramelized pear, raisins, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
The 12 Years is the whisky the brand is known for; the Founder's Reserve is an easy introduction.
Fruity, smooth, and floral, without smoke
Apple & blossom
Fresh apple, pear, and floral notes, with a hint of honey and vanilla. Light and inviting.
Smooth and fruity
Round and smooth, with ripe fruit, vanilla, and a slight creaminess from the American oak.
Clean and medium-length
A fresh, slightly sweet finish with a hint of wood. Longer and richer in the 18 and 21.
Flavor profile of The Glenlivet 12 Years. The Founder's Reserve is lighter and sweeter, while the 15 and 18 are spicier and deeper.
Three ways to drink The Glenlivet
A smooth Speyside malt needs little: a good glass and, optionally, a drop of water. Ice is fine, but it dulls the fruit.
Neat, with a drop of water
Pour 30 ml into a tulip-shaped tasting glass. Smell first, then taste, and add a few drops of water: the apple and floral notes come through.
Glass: tasting glass →On the rocks
50 ml Glenlivet 12 or Founder's Reserve over one large ice cube in a tumbler. Cool and refreshing, with slightly less aroma. Perfect for a summer evening.
Glass: tumbler →Glenlivet highball
50 ml Founder's Reserve or Caribbean Reserve with 150 ml soda water or ginger ale in a long drink glass filled with ice, garnished with a slice of apple. Light, fresh, and the way Speyside is enjoyed in Japan.
Highball recipe →Cocktails with The Glenlivet
A smooth, fruity single malt works well in cocktails where the whisky remains the star.
Old Fashioned
Whisky, sugar, and bitters over a large ice cube. With Glenlivet, it's fruitier and lighter than with bourbon.
Whisky Sour
Whisky, lemon, sugar, and egg white. Glenlivet's apple notes pair perfectly with the lemon.
Whisky Highball
Whisky and soda over plenty of ice. Light and refreshing, ideal with a smooth Speyside malt.
Whisky cocktails
All the whisky cocktails in one place, from Manhattan to Penicillin.The right glass for The Glenlivet
A tulip-shaped tasting glass for sipping neat, a heavy tumbler for on the rocks and the Old Fashioned, and a long drink glass for a highball. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything else you wanted to know about The Glenlivet
Can't find your question? Browse our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →What is the alcohol percentage in The Glenlivet?
What's the difference between The Glenlivet 12 and Founder's Reserve?
Is The Glenlivet smoky?
Where does the name The Glenlivet come from?
Glenlivet or Glenfiddich?
How do you store an opened bottle of Glenlivet?
Buy Glenlivet
Want the bottle delivered straight to your home? Order Glenlivet online from Gall & Gall. Gall & Gall has 6, of which 4 are on sale.
The Glenlivet 15 Years French Oak Reserve
Prices as of November 4, 2026, as reported by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you pay nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.
