The Glenlivet Rare Vintage series is one I’ve been keen to taste for years as they had so many old (and expensive) vintages in this series, with even some whiskies from the turn of the 20th century!

And finally I get to taste a vintage from the series, courtesy of G&M and their “The Wood Makes the Whisky” campaign. This time it’s a Glenlivet 1974 vintage which is a vatting of whisky from refill American & refill Sherry casks.

Rare Vintage Smith’s Glenlivet 1974 (43%)

Nose: Relaxed, fresh, dried fruit with sultanas and figs, some eucalyptus, nutty, furniture varnish, getting fragrance & fruit sweetness, sherried by balanced by the american oak, in fact it mat be suggestive but there’s some vanilla note below the surface. What a lovely nose!

Palate: Spicy, strongly fragrant, deep cooked nutmeg note in brown sugar, a sprinkle of cacao, that sour old sherry note, vanilla, lots of sweet fruit and some oak wood spices.

Finish: Medium length, nutmeg, sour sherry, hints of vanilla, soft polished and slightly bitter oak wood spices and a pinch of nutmeg.

Thoughts: What a cracking old Glenlivet! It was noticeable it doesn’t have that apples scent so associated with Glenlivet. Is it the sherry impact? Maybe it’s the different period, barley, production methods and yeasts? Either way, this one is a good and balanced perfectly whisky. I wonder how even better would it be at cask strength…

(Official sample provided by G&M)