Glenlivet 15, George & J.G. Smith's, Gordon & MacPhail, circa 1990, 57% abv.

Glenlivet is one of Scotland's oldest single malt distilleries and only temporarily halted production one in WW2. Their whisky has grown to be one of the most popular in terms of sales and sales volume along with Glenfiddich, although I personally think those numbers might be inflated and/or manipulated. The George & J.G. Smith label is a little interesting as it refers to the original distillery owners, George Smith (founder) and John Gordon Smith, who was George's youngest son. George & J.G. Smith would merge with J. & J. Grant Glen Grant in 1953. Not sure why G&M would bottle with the old label.... unless the juice was pre-1953?!?!?! This bottle was bottled at UK 100 proof though. This was the bottom of the bottle, which in my experience will taste a little different from the "original" profile.

Nose: sour wooded white grapes, old apples, that typical old highland smell, strong body.

Palate: potent, gaseous, the flavors are very strong and the heat is quite formidible, intense mellowed wood juice, raw vanilla, cinnamon, controlled garlic, straw, dry grass, with more time it becomes sweet, similar to grape juice, but still extemely potent. This one is complicated, back palate was mostly sour wood, farm environment. Really nice.

Finish: long, drying, devastating, tasteless mushrooms, wood.

Dry glass: wax.

Jesus christ, the bite is stupendously stronger than the bark on this one! It's extremely potent with sweet sharp wood flavors atracking your palate in a continuous manner. To be honest I don't know what to make of it. Even the bartender coughed on this first whiff... it's that intense. Surprisingly, the final sips were smooth as molasses and just made me feel homely. Only experienced this final sip of temporary rapture one other time... when I had The Whisky Hoop Highland Park 27. What a strange Livet.

Grade: B+

Whiskyfun.com, Serge, sgp:551, 82 points
Malt maniacs, 83 points on 3 reviews

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

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