For Americans, 21 years of age and 25 years of age are two important milestones in a person’s life. At the former age, you can legally drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, buy a handgun and (if you live in New York) pick up some whipped cream; at the latter age, you can rent a car. (That said, we strongly discourage driving if you’ve already done the first four items on that list today.)
The GlenlivetFor the distillers at The Glenlivet, thought, those two ages mean something very different: they’re the brand’s freshly reimagined expressions of the nearly-200-year-old company’s scotch whiskey. The Glenlivet is revealing its revamped its 21- and 25-year-old single malts, which now boast what the brand is describing as “deeper, richer and more complex flavors.”
Credit, according to The Glenlivet, goes to The Sample Room — the division of the company that the brand calls its “creative epicenter,” responsible for the 18-, 21- and 25-year-old versions of the scotch. (You’ll notice “The Sample Room” branding is front and center on the new bottles, which, along with the new boxes they come in, are designed to give these new expressions a more premium feel even before you crack them open.)
The Glenlivet
The GlenlivetThe latest version of the 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch is finished in first-fill Oloroso sherry, Vintage Colheita port and Troncais oak Cognac casks, in order to deliver a flavor profile that blends sweet notes like caramelized pears with the bite of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, making it a solid choice for a glass to enjoy by the fire on a cool fall evening. The 25 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, meanwhile, is also selectively aged in Troncais oak Cognac casks, as well as Pedro Ximénez sherry ones. Dig in, and you’ll find those ginger and spice notes there, but also hints of blood orange and sweet fig, as well as a touch of oak and even — if you pay close attention — perhaps a bit of charred pineapple.
If you’re looking to try one of these new expressions for yourself, well, you won’t have to wait long. The two revamped expressions are being announced this week, and should go on sale ASAP — so expect to find them on your liquor store shelves and on places like ReserveBar and Drizly no later than next week.
