At For Peat' Sake you are the whiskey expert. All of our whiskey reviews have been submitted by whiskey drinkers like yourself who want to help others by sharing their experiences. We encourage you to help us grow by signing up and reviewing the whiskey you drink.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old Reviews
- Distillery
- The Glenlivet
- Style
- Single Malt
- Release
- Unspecified
- Age
- 12 Years
- Alcohol
- 40% abv.
- Region
- Scotland: Speyside
- Bottled For
- Distillery
- Buy Now $44.95 ForScotchLovers.com
- Buy Now $47.97 WineChateau.com
- Buy Now $582.96 WineChateau.com
- see all offers
The Glenlivet distillery stands on the lonely hillside where George Smith founded it almost 200 years ago. Near the River Livet, Josie's Well still pours forth its uniquely pure mineral rich water to feed the mash tun. As it did in 1824. At this height (850 feet above the sea) the stills are run at a gentle heat, yielding a delicate fragrant spirit unique even in Speyside, the famous heartlad of malt whisky excellence. Only so grand a place could produce so fine a whisky. Aged only in oak casks.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by ChadDavis
- Color
- Amber -1. Gold/Straw.
- Nose
- Tangerines, Cotton, Ginger, Salmon
- Body
- Medium thickness. Nice leggy whisky. Smooth mouthfeel.
- Palate
- Honey, Sweet Tea, Shell fish, sherry.
- Finish
- Acrid, medium burn or a young whisky, apples and cinnamon. Not particularly complex.
Decent 12 year. Nothing remarkable. A bit harsh in the finish, but otherwise very palatable. I'll drink this at restaurants, but I won't be buying it. At 40% ABV, it's too weak to water. I took it neat in a snifter. Added a bit of water as I got through it. For the money, get the Glenfiddich.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- Very pale amber.
- Nose
- Wonderfully intense pear aroma, the smell of Indian Summer in an orchard.
- Body
- Medium body.
- Palate
- Slightly salty, little malt or peat. Dry and delicate.
- Finish
- Not very long, peppery.
A fine introduction to single malts. Unassertive and inoffensive, but still good and affordable.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- Amber
- Nose
- Earthy
- Body
- Mild body
- Palate
- A touch of peat.
- Finish
- Good strong finish.
Not bad for a lower end 12 year old. Has a nice finish that competes with some of the higher end 12 and 18 year olds.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- light amber
- Nose
- sweet rubbing alcohol
- Body
- watery
- Palate
- Iodine
- Finish
- Warm and tingly.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- Yellow
- Nose
- Medicinal, flat, one dimensional, flower extract, light hints of WD-40 and kerosene.
- Body
- Thin, typical legs of 40% abv spirit.
- Palate
- Drinkable with ice, soda or lemonade. Do not try this on a Glencairn glass. Overall medicinal with flower extract in the background.
- Finish
- Not much here either. Goes away fast.
When I try spirits like these after the initial anger and disappointment I realize how misleading and insignificant an age statement can be. Glenlivet, after 12 years of maturation are you sure you can't do any better than this? For less money both Black Bottle and Chivas 12 blends blow this this Glen away. Nice bottle and tube though.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by JJKamminga
- Color
- Amber.
- Nose
- Smooth and flowery, maybe slightly fruity.
- Body
- Light-Medium, very pleasant. Fits the flavors well.
- Palate
- Even more flowery than it smells, slightly smoky, some fruits, many different flavors I can't properly distinguish yet.
- Finish
- Smooth and long enough to enjoy the many different flavors.
Elegant is a word that comes to mind with this one. Quite smooth, with a warm and full, flowery taste. Maybe my favorite among the whiskeys that got me into liking single malts. Great for starters, at least.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Eye-lah Guy
- Color
- Medium amber in the glass
- Nose
- Spicy oak
- Body
- Medium
- Palate
- Fine grains with sweet honey, charred oak and understated peat; well balanced
- Finish
- Oak char rounded out by subtle sweetness, with an overall spicy character that’s inherent throughout the dram
The venerable Speysider still has purpose, though doubtless luster has been lost to the proliferation of other Scottish Malts in the past two decades. With its former vitality up for debate, it’s nonetheless significant and certainly solid. Sales are steady, but can it return to greatness?
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- Light pale anber
- Nose
- salty earthy
- Body
- light
- Palate
- carmelly
- Finish
- warm and good after taste
Looking for Irish single malt, settled on the twelve year scotish.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- Amber -1
- Nose
- Fruity, orange and banana with mangoes.
- Body
- Light bodied, decent legs.
- Palate
- The fruit smoothy of scotch whisky.
- Finish
- Decent, wonderful finish.
Great starter whisky. Highly recommended.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Winemaker
- Color
- Amber
- Nose
- Vanilla, oak, fruit. Smells nice, but not interesting.
- Body
- Full bodied, a bit hot, rather rough.
- Palate
- Oak, vanilla, diet coke (no, it was neat).
- Finish
- Long finish but not pleasant. Tastes cheap, and finishes not much better than Jim Beam. No thanks.
Maybe I had a bad bottle, but this was a total disappointment.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- Light golden, honey coloured
- Nose
- Hint of Vanilla, caramel, honey, faint rasberry
- Body
- Starts off light and builds, slight smoke and spice, traces of fruit
- Palate
- Pears or apples, slight peat
- Finish
- Not much to the finish, lingering aftertaste of apple or pear, pleasent warm sensation after swallow, dry enough to be mouth watering
Overall a pleasing single malt. Would be even nicer if the finish was stronger but the flavour is bold and meaty
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Ruralmedic09
- Color
- pale amber
- Nose
- light and smoky, nice soft scent
- Body
- smooth and warm with a easy bite tot he back of the tongue
- Palate
- Vanilla and peat
- Finish
- a slight bite towards the end with a warmth that follows
This was one of the first single malt scotch whiskeys I have ever purchased. I found I really liked it. The taste was not what I expected. I expected an almost bourbon-like sting in my throat, but it was remarkably smooth for my first scotch whiskey. I definately would purchase The Glenlivet 12 year old again.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Xcal97
- Color
- Pale amber. In between dark gold and light bronze.
- Nose
- Oaken, flowery with a tinge of earth.
- Body
- Light and dry. Delicate and very clean.
- Palate
- Tangy, very fruity. Lots of subtle flavors here, vanilla, cereal, oak, apple, definitely some maltiness. Very fresh.
- Finish
- Long finish, starts off weak but comes back strong and lasts for a few seconds. Quite warm, but not too spicy. Relatively strong compared to when it first hits your tongue. Very pleasant.
It won't wow you, but this is a solid whisky. A great one to start off with if you're new to single malts. A very good after-dinner and springtime scotch, and certainly a good one to share with friends or family. Very pleasant and refreshing right from the nose through the finish.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Lendl
- Color
- Pale Amber
- Nose
- Banana, Vanilla
- Body
- Smooth, grabs front of tongue
- Palate
- Fruit
- Finish
- Warm, noticeable fruity flavour shortly after swallowed
Quite enjoyable, a little short on character
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Wtl.base
- Color
- Very pale amber.
- Nose
- Chardonnay. An unobtrusive floral bouquet, a hint of raspberry.
- Body
- Fairly smooth.
- Palate
- Malt, cereal, light honey. The balance is towards sour, which I find quite refreshing.
- Finish
- Clean and short.
An elegant, subtle and well-rounded malt. No frills. I like to go back to it when I'm not in the mood for much spice or complexity, or a peat punch.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Linusstick
- Color
- A nice dark gold/light amber
- Nose
- Caramel malt with a tinge of salt and earthiness
- Body
- Light to medium bodied
- Palate
- Strong malt with cinnamon and a hint of vanilla
- Finish
- Hot and strong. Very nice.
A great single malt that is easy on the wallet as well as easy to find. A little one dimensional but very nice.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Scotch
- Color
- Light Amber
- Nose
- Vanilla aroma with a dash of fruit flavor
- Body
- Light bodied and smooth
- Palate
- A breath of fresh air....
- Finish
- Subtle beginnings....flavor comes alive and ends in a clean, distinctive finish
Truly a pleasure...
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Anonymous
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Frombeyond
- Color
- light straw
- Nose
- clean
- Body
- light to medium crisp
- Palate
- apple and white wine like. crisp and green
- Finish
- medium
Nice solid single malt nothing to be embarassed about. I like it's white wine approach.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Stinga
- Color
- Straw.
- Nose
- Apple, oak, hint of lemon. Very flowery.
- Body
- Smooth and creamy, and somewhat wet.
- Palate
- Oak and apple. Some citrus notes. A hint of vanilla and liquorice.
- Finish
- Mildly warm and long lasting. Warmth sneeks in subtly and smoothly. Oak and apple is present in the mouth and throat.
Well this is the first scotch i tried, so i am new to the whiskey world. My first exprience has gone well, i thought this whiskey to be sweet and delicious. I would recommend this to any one new to single malt scotch whiskey.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- Pale Amber
- Nose
- Very floral and fruity. I absolutely love the nose on this expression. Pear, apricot, apple. No burn, very sweet, very pleasant to nose. Very light, to almost no peat smell.
- Body
- Medium body, not chewy or thick.
- Palate
- sweet, floral, fruity and grassy. It has very good balance. Not very much distinct "peat" flavor at all. This is a very light and sweet dram, very good for afternoons and dinner.
- Finish
- good long lasting finish. Sweet, sticky and delightful.
This is my favorite scotch hands down. I'm not a heavy smoky and peaty scotch lover. I like Speyside scotches and this and Glenfiddich happen to be my favorite. This is a great all around, enjoy anytime scotch.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by MP
- Color
- light Amber
- Nose
- Apples, antiseptic, lemon peel, oak.
- Body
- light
- Palate
- Apple sauce
- Finish
- warm, not strong to the end
very mellow in comparison to other whiskey's. I keep trying it again, and letting it air out helps to change the flavours. Sometimes it can be very mellow, and other times it lasts for a long time. The reason I tried this scotch - it was the cheapest on the shelf.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Dramiel McHinson
- Color
- Straw
- Nose
- Honey suckle, cereal, a little citrus
- Body
- medium body, a little crisp
- Palate
- lightly sweet cereal start, the malted barley moves in as it gets a little more dry. Some classic oak influence but not too pushy.
- Finish
- finish was medium with a mix of the cereal and oak notes
Not at all bad. The smokey-peaty crowd remains aloof to this otherwise good dram.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Michaelironside
- Color
- Light amber
- Nose
- Minty, Floural but mellow, Light, A wee fiery.
- Body
- Dry, Very dry, Medium
- Palate
- Lemoney, Balanced, Yummy
- Finish
- Looooong & Spicy
Recommend
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Colin
- Color
- Very pale. Cream yellow.
- Nose
- Water, Spice, Dried ginger.
- Body
- Very smooth. Mellow and pleasant.
- Palate
- Lots of fruit, Vanilla, A hint of smoke.
- Finish
- Very long and tingly. Ends slightly sour.
I've changed my mind many times about this one. Sometimes i find it dreadfully boring, but this time i'm absolutely delighted with it. It should be drank on a clean palate, or its subtleties will be lost. It is all in the subtlties with this one.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
Review by Rich
- Nose
- Floral, gentle maltiness. Dry not sweet malt. Mild spice.
- Body
- Firm, more weight than it might seem.
- Palate
- This seems a bit more "intense" than other years of this malt, or again, perhaps it is my changing palate. There is a spiciness here that gives some additional balance to the normal gentle floral quality. It seems more assertive and direct as well.
- Finish
- Finishes as well as it starts.
Do not overlook; a slightly better than average malt.