Beyond the complicated maturation of first and second-fill barrels, hogsheads, and butts, this whisky has been finished in PX and Tronçais oak cognac casks. Inky plums, aromatic roasted spice, stewed fruits, citrus peel, and cedarwood mark out a luxurious medley of aromas. Spectacularly jammy with thick sherry notes, damsons, cinnamon, dried fruit, ginger spices, apricot, and toasted oak with each sip. Who’s got the cigars?

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2022)

Deep gold color. Incredibly complex, subtle aromas of vanilla, honey, marshmallow, tropical fruit (pineapple, peaches, coconut), floral notes and a hint of almonds. Medium-full in body, and firm. On the palate, the flavors are complex and exhibit the same notes as the aroma, starting out gently sweet, but gradually becoming fruity and eventually drying out on the finish.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2003)

Richly textured with mouth-coating malt that is balanced by an array of lively fruit (fresh peach, nectarine, tangerine, pears in honey, and delicately caramelized pineapple). Creamy caramel, crème brûlée, anise, and subtle toasted marshmallow add complexity, as does its gently spicy, pleasingly dry finish. Two years older than the standard 16 year old Nadurra (which I like for its vibrancy and freshness). This new Triumph 1991 is richer and more textured, with more caramelized sugars, riper barley, and greater fruit impact. More mouth-coating too. (Exclusive to the U.S.)

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2009)

A vatting of three first-fill American oak casks, for me this is the most lifted and effusive of the ongoing Cellar Collection range. The nose is full of aromas of anise, blackcurrant leaf, honeysuckle, jasmine, frangipani flowers, and a subtle almond sweetness. The palate continues in similar vein with more spice and just sufficient oak to add distinct structure and a coconut character. Sublime. It won’t, however, be released in the U.S. £1,000

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2012)

A very clean whisky, with fragrant dried flowers, aromas of germinating barley, textured honey, vanilla waver, coconut cream and teasing fresh pineapple. Drying, delicately minty finish. For those who love the richly elegant, non-sherried style of older Glenlivet whiskies.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2006)

Aged exclusively in first-fill bourbon casks and bottled unfiltered and at natural cask strength. This takes the usually subtle Glenlivet and makes it more vibrant, amplifying its flavors while accentuating the bourbon oak. Tight notes of honeyed malt, vanilla bean, toasted oak, bright fruit, and nuts, are peppered with more subtle floral and spice notes. Dry, spicy finish. A Glenlivet with pizzazz.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2006)

This U.S.-exclusive release was initially aged in first-fill American oak sherry casks before a period of finishing in cognac casks. Spicy red wine notes on the notably aromatic nose, with vanilla and light cinnamon. Good texture in the mouth, sweet, and very approachable, with tangerines, toffee, dates, sultanas, and milk chocolate. Liqueur chocolates in the smooth, lengthy finish. Not overly complex, but robust and extremely drinkable.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2019)

You would expect any 70 year old whisky to be crepuscular, dense, and wooded. Not here. The nose is amazingly fresh — distillery character fully intact — with layers of rancio and heavy florals. In time, there’s candle wax, vanilla, milk chocolate, and a touch of leather, even the whiff of a soft mink stole. Concentrated and complex. The palate is like an ancient vin santo with oxidized nuttiness, quince and medlar, and subtle peat. Hugely expressive on the palate, with a sweet finish. Truly remarkable.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Summer 2011)

Antique amber color. This whisky maintains the elegance cherished by Glenlivet enthusiasts, but finishing the whisky in limousin oak produces a whisky of deeper wood notes, particularly wood spices (vanilla, sandalwood, perhaps even mint) and floral notes. It’s rich, complex, and dry-especially on the finish.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2000)

Younger bottlings of Glenlivet are often quite elegant and subtle. But such finesse isn’t always evident in older expressions, which often become dominated by sherry and oak. This one, at 35 years of age, demonstrates plenty of elegance and finesse. What impresses me most about this whisky is that you wouldn’t know it was 35 year old just by taste. It isn’t the least bit tired on the palate, and it is very clean, without the excessive woodiness often found in whiskies of this age. Plus, the balance of flavors is impeccable-vanilla, honeyed malt, peaches, pineapple, heather, and just a touch of oak. A very polished, refined whisky.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2004)

A quintet of releases showing examples of The Glenlivet from five decades, issued to support The Glenlivet Generations 70 year old bottling. All are available individually or in a limited edition set (50 only) for £2,850; these bottlings are not currently available in the U.S. A first-fill American oak hoggie was the receptacle for the representative from the 1960s. The cask has provided an extremely relaxed environment for maturation to take place, with a return of the pineapple (grilled on a barbecue this time), along with linden blossom, cream, green jasmine tea, and mint. The effect is like a grown up 1991. The maturity kicks in on the palate — thick and slow with some sandalwood alongside honeysuckle. Gentle and clean, and again not one to dilute. £750

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Summer 2011)

Style: Speyside single malt scotch Color: Amber Aroma: Rich and rather full for Glenlivet, with nuts and fruit, drenched with layers of toffee and caramel. Palate: Rich and enveloping-almost chewy-with notes of toffee and caramel up front. Delicate fruit, nuts and spice emerge mid-palate, adding complexity, becoming dry with a long spicy finish

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2003)

Lovely bouquet of dried citrus fruit, honeyed apricot and plum, complemented by exotic wood spice, malty vanilla, and a hint of mint and anise. Similar follow-through on the palate, with the sweeter notes up front, full fruit impact mid-palate, leading to a dry, peppery, exotic wood spice finish. The whisky evolves on the palate and is very impressive, with its only blemish being a bit too dry and oaky on the finish.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2006)

New packaging and new whisky too-sort of. According to Glenlivet’s whisky maker Jim Cryle, Archive is now being bottled in smaller batches, allowing them to be more selective in the casks used to improve its quality and flavor. I believe that it has worked. It tastes more refined. Along with Archive’s signature creamy toffee notes, I’m picking up beautiful floral, vanilla, and fruity notes (peaches, pineapple, coconut) on the nose and palate, with subtler nutty, anise threads throughout. An elegant expression of Glenlivet.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2006)

Very stylish. Quite refined too, with notes of vanilla, peaches and flowering currant. The whisky is very soft on the palate, delicate and almost bashful at times. Indeed, it may take a couple of dates with this whisky for it to fully to reveal itself. The whisky finishes toasty, with a pleasing cereal grain maltiness. Some whiskies are great after dinner; others make wonderful pre-dinner drams. This one is great anytime.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2005)

This whisky fits the profile of other extra-matured Glenlivet whiskies I’ve tasted. Notes of coconut and other assorted tropical fruit, old rum, caramel custard, shortbread cookies, vanilla malt, and a hint of cotton candy. This is all balanced by polished oak. A soothing, rather sweet whisky (which is quite surprising for its age).

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2008)

Lively on the nose for its age (and on the palate too -- the tell-tale oak emerges only towards the end). Notes of creamy vanilla, barley sugar, coconut, pineapple, and general citrus notes throughout. Dried spices (especially cinnamon) kick in mid-palate and continue into a lengthy, dry, polished oak finish.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2007)

The nose yields orange and lime, canned pineapple, and light caramel notes. Elegant, with some substance on the palate, with vanilla and brittle toffee underpinned by vibrant orchard fruits, honey, and milk chocolate. The finish features more milk chocolate, gentle oak, and ginger. Best Value

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2020)