And
so, the end is near... and you should hopefully by now all be on your
seasonal Christmas break. If so, let us wish you a very merry
Christmas and we're glad you survived the end of the world, Mayan-style. If,
however, you're not yet off and you're still out, nose to the
grindstone, working then you have our sympathy. Either way, it sounds like you
need a good old dram!
Yesterday
we brought you the recommendation of purchasing the Highland Park 12
Year Old, a fantastic whisky which give you a gentle introduction to
the world of peated and smoky whiskies.
However,
if island-style liquid really isn't you bag and you'd prefer
something much more relaxed then can we recommend The Glenlivet 12
Year Old for you.
Often
neglected due to it's ubiquity on both the back bar and the
supermarket shelf, there is a reason why big brands such as this have
(and crucially maintain) their success because they're good! And for
the price (often to be found on discount around this time of year)
this is a real winner:
The
Glenlivet 12 Years Old – 70cl – 40% ABV
Nose:
A full flavoured nose of sweet vanilla and apple pie with a sugared
topping. Some elderflower notes and a clean, crisp, Champagne tone
with hints of other white flowers.
Palate:
Easy to drink at the bottling strength, the apple pie notes develop
into a cooked apple with hot custard topping. Aniseed and hint of
cinnamon complete this very drinkable package. The vanillas from the
oak are notable on the end of the dram.
Finish:
Long and warming, this gives more of the green apple and cinnamon.
Perfect with a block of ice.
Overall:
Just a fantastic example of a great Speyside whisky for well under
£30. In fact, at certain times of the year you can pick this up +
the 20cl bottle of Lagavulin we reviewed earlier in this series for a
pound or so over £30. The perfect way to start your whisky drinking
journey.
It
is bottles such as this which teach us a valuable lesson: just
because the brand is a household name, it does not mean you should
turn your nose up to. In fact, quite the opposite.