Priced at above 200 quid, this is the most expensive and exclusive (and well aged) ‘Livet around. It has been finished in Oloroso casks (not sure for how long) to add some more depth and complexity. Not sure why a 25 year old dram needs any further finish to be “complex”, but there you have it. This is the last expression from the Glenlivet Core line I’ve yet to review. so here we go:
The Glenlivet XXV , 43% , £217
Nose: Oh, this is lovely stuff. Very thick and rich with A LOT and I mean a lot of Sherry influence (oloros, surely) dried fruit on the fore with superb woody notes of old wood, library benches, and antique chests and stewed apples , all that without being too sweet, and with a ginger bite and lemon zest to tone it down.
Palate: Sultanas galore here, with a lot of sherry effect, toffee and some pepper in addition to cinnamon, wood bark, wood lacquer and even more dried fruit drenched in sherry. sweet, spicy and mouth watering.
Finish: Sultana, chocolate and ginger powder.
This is delicious stuff. I’ve seen Serge was not a big fan of this , but I do like this dram very very much. Yet, not THAT much as to pay 200 quid and at 43%, The Glenlivet could have gone the extra mile and bottle it at 48% or something, it’s after all a very “exclusive” dram. Anyways, Can’t go wrong with that one.
Score: 89/100
Official sample provided by The Glenlivet