THE GLENLIVET 40 YEAR & 55 YEAR SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
SPEYSIDE, SCOTLAND
Why Buy: To celebrate its 200th birthday, Glenlivet has delivered something unprecedentedly rare and jaw-droppingly special: a 55 Year whisky, its oldest to date, and an experience as magical as any we’ve ever come across. The inaugural release in its Eternal Collection, it commands a pretty penny, to be sure, but it also stands as a genuine unicorn of collecting: just 100 bottles are available globally, with a mere 15 allocated to the U.S. market. The 40 Year, while a bit more attainable at 1,500 bottles worldwide (280 for the U.S.), might look like a youngun by comparison, but it’s one of the most complex, mature expressions we've encountered in years, a whisky of almost celestial smoothness.
What They're Saying: "Stunning... fantastic," Forbes wrote of the 55 Year, even going so far as to wonder whether it “bridge[s] the boundary between art and whisky."
Our Tasting Notes:
* The 55 Year opens with the warmth of autumn fruits — poached pears harmonizing with sun-drenched Seville oranges and sticky dates. Dark chocolate and toasted hazelnut notes give way to a deep, sustained palate of blackcurrant jam and vanilla fudge, with crystallized ginger providing a marvelous and vivifying lift. But this is so much more than the sum of its superlative elements. It’s an elixir, truly, that speaks to the very meaning of luxury and rarity. Extraordinary.
* The 40 Year reveals its sherry cask finish through wave after rich wave of poached plums and charred orange, dark cherries, with a gentle undertow of complex, warming spices — all of it culminating, gradually, masterfully, in a finish that summons the flavor of braised apples. Depth, maturity, resonance: a drink that can lift your spirits all by itself.
The Story: The Eternal Collection marks a new chapter in Glenlivet's storied history. The 55 Year launches a series of five editions, each one to be aged an additional year. For this inaugural release, computational architect Michael Hansmeyer employed algorithmic techniques to create an impossible-seeming structure housing the decanter — his design inspired by the eternal flow of the River Livet itself. The 40 Year showcases a different kind of innovation: custom casks seasoned with a bespoke blend of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherries from Jerez.
ABV: The 55 Year, 42.2% (84.4 proof); the 40 Year, 46.9% (93.8 proof).
Fun Fact: The Glenlivet's founder, George Smith, was the first licensed distiller in the parish of Glenlivet, but before gaining his license in 1824, he, like many others in the region, operated illegally. He was said to have gone around packing a pair of pistols — to protect his whisky from rivals and authorities alike.
Our Guarantee: Remember, friends – we always buy and source directly from the distiller, so you can rest assured that your whisky will arrive in your hands with pristine provenance.