GLENLIVET WHISKY and AMBASSADOR IAN LOGAN GOES HOLLYWOOD

Michael Hepworth

GLENLIVET WHISKY and AMBASSADOR IAN LOGAN COME TO TOWN..

West Hollywood(Spiritsman)3/22/15/–Spiritsman had the recent pleasure to meet up with Glenlivet brand ambassador Ian Logan at a dinner at the London Hotel in West Hollywood, where we tasted a few of their aged releases.

Glenlivet has been around since 1824 in the Livet Valley in Speyside, and Logan has now been the ambassador for the brand since 2004.

Logan is a typical Scot, full of stories and anecdotes about Glenlivet and whisky in general, and he is on the road about ten weeks a year, visiting the USA at least twice per calendar year. He in fact was in town on his way to a high roller whisky event in Las Vegas, where serious collectors buy and sell bottles for hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases.

The first one I tried was the 15 year -old French Oak Reserve, and following Logan’s instructions It was mixed with water. Color was an intense gold, creamy, rich and fruity with a lingering taste of almonds and spices. One of the secrets of Glenlivet is the method of maturation which means using French Oak barrels for a limited time in the process. Glenlivet was one of the first distilleries to use French Oak, and it is now a common practice in the whisky making process.

Limousin Oak from the Dordogne region of France allows the spirit to penetrate deep into the wood which in turn gives it a strong sense of spiciness.

The 18 year-old has an old gold look and was slightly more elegant than the 15 year-old. Oranges, raisins and toffee characterized the taste, partly because of the use of both American and French Oak casks. The French helps with the spiciness and complexity of the drink and the American helps with the fruitiness of the drink.

The Glenlivet 21 year-old is the mature and debonair drink in the collection and the color reflects that with its amber and copper shades. On the nose there is a hint of dried fruit and sherry, and on the palate you get a cinnamon and ginger feel along with toasted hazelnuts. Production is in small batches with each individual cask nosed and approved by master distiller Alan Winchester.

Last but certainly not least was the tasting of the Glenlivet XXV 25 year-old with a color of rich amber and ripe gold. A very sweet wine as well with the nose smelling dark chocolate and dried sultanas. Obviously if you can get your hands on this one, drink it with dessert where the long and balanced finish will stay on the palate.

Individually selected ex-sherry butts are used in this release where the Oloroso-soaked wood imparts a nutty spiciness perfect for the overall flavor.