No blog or review set about whiskey would be complete without a Glenlivet 12. I will write a distillery profile about this prolific and indeed iconic distillery later, but for now let’s concentrate on this classic dram. It comes in a lovely green bottle with classic labelling. Nothing too flashy, and something I would imagine seeing from a bottle of glenlivet from 50 years ago. The bronze coloured badge on the front that has 1824 stamped shows you are in the presence of something historic.
This dram is not a heavy, distinct dram like many I have in my collection, but rather a reliable, easy drinker that has come to define middle Scotland whiskey. It’s light, with hints of apples and a little oak.
As always, this dram brings back memories of long forgotten time spent with family. When I look at the bottle and take a sip, I am reminded of history. Of sitting with my grandmother reviewing old photographs or great grandparents, old homesteads, hard times on the shores of Newfoundland. The faces staring back from the black and white photographs flash before my eyes as I pick up the bottle to pour myself a second.
It’s warming, comforting and reliable. I wish I could pour one for my great grandfather, a man I never met but looks like he would benefit from a nice dram after returning home from the sea and punching in another hard day of graft to earn a living for his family.
It’s easy with today’s scotch selections to find yourself moving away from the staples. But now and then, dont forget the distillers and drams that have laid the foundations for the whiskies we know and love. Pick yourself up a Glenlivet 12 and enjoy a generous pour!