TL:DR: Well-made and relatively complex for an entry level dram, but quality and personal taste clash on this one. Like a novel with parallel storylines which don’t quite come together.
Vote*: 5 Average, in a good way
* Votes are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
Not interested in my ramblings below? Skip to the Glenlivet 12 year old review here or check the introduction to this leg of my journey
A bit like Pepsi to Coca-Cola, Glenlivet has been the number 2 behind Glenfiddich in the single malt market for a long time. Unlike Pepsi, as I mentioned in my previous post, Glenlivet ultimately managed to match Glenfiddich in production capacity and is now neck and neck with its historic competitor. It is only natural to review the Glenlivet 12 after the Glenfiddich 12.
While Glenfiddich has the 12 as its clear entry-level malt, Glenlivet makes things a bit more confusing for novice drinkers approaching their core range as you are left to choose between the 12 year old and the non-age statement Founder’s reserve. The latter was introduced in 2015 and since then there have been rumours that it would replace the 12. This seems to be the case in some geographies (if this is your experience please share it in the comments below), but otherwise, both seem to coexist right now. It also seems the 12 itself might have changed somewhat, check the malt-review.com link at the end of this post for one opinion about this.
I stuck with the 12 to compare the three (in)famous “Glen” distilleries on as even a level as possible, so core range entry-level age statements. On top of this, the Double Oak gives me a chance for the…
Fact of the day: not all Oak is created alike
Oak contributes a lot to whisky and not all oak is the same. Soon I will start exploring how the former content of the cask used to mature our whisky influences aromas and taste, but today I want to focus on the wood itself. Why does Glenlivet highlight that this is a Double Oak whisky? Because the main woods (but by far not the only ones) used to make casks come from European and American Oak. They are different species: Quercus alba or American white oak and Quercus petrea or European white oak.
Each species has a different ability to contribute aromas and a different grain. Without going into technical details (and the contradictory info I could find online), what I care about as a drinker is the result. Both species can give whisky vanilla aromas, though more from American oak than European. American oak aged whisky is usually said also to give coconut notes and, when charred, coffee and caramel aromas. European-aged whisky instead tends to be more spicy and tannic, and when charred gives toffee notes.
Will the Double Cask name live up to the theory and deliver the signature of both oak types?
Review: The Glenlivet 12 year old Double Oak
Specs
Price paid: 36€
Lot/bottled date: 22/11/2021
ABV: 40%
Natural colour: No
Non-chill filtered: No
Casks used: European and American oak casks
Tasting
Neck pour: Malt and oak with some fruity notes – intriguing.
Colour: dark gold
Aromas: Starts very sweet, blond caramel, with banana, apple, porridge oats, vanilla, white pepper, and woody notes. With some time in the glass, the apple note becomes more intense and some ginger and green lemon appear together with a green vegetal note, which I can only describe as a freshly cut hedge. Progressively the malty porridge notes and the oak start to dominate the nose and the complexity wanes.
Taste: Sugary, oaky and peppery. Some vanilla and porridge. Not a lot of fruit
Finish: Malty and peppery with a touch of the green vegetal aroma noted before. Medium in length. Leaves a drying, porridge taste at the end.
How does it behave with a drop of water?
Adding about 10% water smoothens the taste, reducing the oak and increasing the fruit and malt notes, but it also kills the intensity of the aromas and shortens the finish. All in all, better neat.
Conclusions
I can see the effort to add layers to this dram: the malt, fruit, and wood influences are all there. The taste is a bit underwhelming, which is starting to become a trend with these entry-level bottles, but the finish is more captivating. The promise of “double oak” notes is maintained, there is vanilla and spice from both cask types.
On the other hand, I have to admit I am simply not a fan. I find the green sappy notes and the dry porridge oats aroma clash with the other notes. It leaves me with a feeling of something unripe/uncooked mixed with the other, warmer notes. As much as I tried to see if it changed with time/air exposure/etc, the Glenlivet 12 just didn’t win me over.
Even more than usual, I suggest you also look at other opinions.
Here are a few other reviews of the Glenlivet 12 Double Oak I enjoyed:
malt-review.com on Glenlivet 12,15 and 18
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