The Glenlivet Debuts a 40-Yr-Outdated Scotch for $6,000

The Glenlivet has been crafting noteworthy malt for upwards of 200 years. And alongside the way in which the Speyside distillery has collected numerous accolades and amassed a U.S. following better than another Scotch model ever. But, in all this time, it has by no means unveiled a everlasting expression as mature because the one hitting cabinets this month. The Glenlivet 40 Yr Outdated is a 93.8-proof cask-strength bottling, introduced with a hefty price ticket of $6,000.

However earlier than whisky aficionados can start savoring this decades-in-the-makind expression, they’ll first have to determine methods to fetch the decanter from its puzzle box-like enclosure. The whisky requires a little bit of ingenuity to open — concurrently pushing and twisting the highest releases the decanter from its modern housing.

As soon as poured and allowed to rise to room temperature, the 40-year-old Scotch reveals its advanced character via a large number of aromas and flavors. “On the nostril, we’re met with wealthy and fruity aromas, with notes of do-it-yourself strawberry jam and raisins. Luscious darkish cherries are complemented by cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of candy, toasted oak,” The Glenlivet cask grasp Kevin Balmforth instructed Meals & Wine through e mail. “On the palate, the whisky affords candy layers of poached plums and charred orange that progress to but deeper notes of darkish chocolate, braised pink apples, and candy licorice. Lastly, the whisky has an extended, candy, and wealthy end with a warming spice. Total, for me, The Glenlivet 40 is extremely wealthy and fruity, with distinct warming spice notes of cinnamon and raisins.”  

To conjure these complexities, Balmforth seasoned European oak barrels with a bespoke mix of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherries. He then used these vessels to use a two-year end atop a sturdy vatting of malts that had already spent a number of a long time maturing within the distillery’s historic dunnage warehouses. 

The whisky saved right here, in truth, represents a legacy that helped outline a whole subcategory of Scotch. Earlier than Speyside was identified for its personal distinct type, distilleries within the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries would as a substitute use the suffix “-Glenlivet” as shorthand for the wealthy and fruity type of Scotch we affiliate with it right now. 

“We’re consistently experimenting with new taste profiles, and we knew that the impression of a sherry-matured cask would convey a rewarding end to the correct expression. So, when the chance to craft the oldest everlasting addition to the vary launched from The Glenlivet distillery thus far, I knew it was the proper second to craft one thing actually particular,” Balmorth says. “This everlasting new expression was rigorously completed in customized casks from the guts of Jerez in Spain. These had been seasoned with a bespoke mix of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherries, making certain they might harmonize completely with the depth and maturity of this Single Malt whisky, elevating it to a masterpiece worthy of its age.” 

Regardless of its prolonged interplay with the famed fortified wines of Spain, Glenlivet 40 is hardly a sherry bomb. As an alternative, it affords a balanced presentation of sweetness and spice that’s not dominated by darkish fruit notes. And Balmforth modestly attributes this enviable end result to the regular arms of these cask masters who predated him. 

“We knew we had an unimaginable batch of The Glenlivet casks we had been safeguarding for a few years, it was a case of ready for the correct time,” says Balmforth. “After rigorously monitoring the journey of the whisky, we made the choice to launch this as a 40 Yr Outdated. This yr is the proper time to launch a real testomony to The Glenlivet’s pioneering legacy following the model’s 2 hundredth anniversary final yr.”  

“It represents greater than 4 a long time of dedication and craftsmanship from our group,” he says of the brand new launch. “It’s due to the efforts and foresight of my predecessors who laid down the inspiration of this whisky 40 years in the past that we’re in a position to showcase the trailblazing spirit of The Glenlivet with the introduction of such a particular and highly-aged everlasting expression throughout such a monumental yr.”

The monumental yr he refers to is definitely 2024 — the model’s 2 hundredth anniversary. The 40 Yr marks the official finale of its bicentennial. To commemorate the event final September, The Glenlivet launched its oldest liquid ever, a 55-year-old single-cask, limited-edition expression that exists as a part of its “Everlasting Assortment” of one-offs. That one was undeniably a sherry bomb, exploding on the scene at a whopping $55,000 per bottle. So possibly you’ll select to see its 40-year-old youthful sibling as one thing of a discount.