The Glenlivet
Encyclopedia
The Glenlivet Distillery is a distillery near Ballindalloch
in Moray
, Scotland
that produces single malt Scotch whisky
. It is the oldest legal distillery in the parish of Glenlivet, and the production place of the Scottish whisky
of the same name. It is described in packaging and advertising as "The single malt that started it all". It was founded in 1824 and it has operated almost continuously since. The distillery remained open throughout the Great Depression
and its only closure came during World War II
. The Glenlivet distillery has grown in the post-war period to become one of the biggest single malt distilleries in order to keep up with global demand; The Glenlivet brand is the biggest selling malt whisky in the United States
and the second biggest selling single malt brand globally.
Today, the distillery is owned by the French alcoholic beverages company Pernod Ricard
and they oversee the distillery's production of 5,900,000 proof
litres per annum. The majority of this – enough for 6 million bottles – is sold as The Glenlivet single malt, with the remainder being used in Pernod Ricard's blended whisky brands.
Maltings, Portgordon
. Lastly, Glenlivet's stills are lantern shaped with long, narrow necks, all of which helps to produce a light tasting spirit.
The distillery has 4 wash stills each with a capacity of 15,000 litres and 4 spirit stills with a capacity of 10,000 litres.
Spirit from the distillery is then matured in oak casks formerly used to mature bourbon (ex-bourbon), as is normal throughout the industry, with some products being finished in casks previously used to store sherry
and port
.
Glenlivet is categorised as a Speyside distillery
. The Glenlivet range consists of 12 Years, 15 Years, 16 Years Nàdurra, 18 Years, 21 years, and 25 years, with a number of limited edition whiskies such as the Cellar Collection. Glenlivet also produces a range for the travel retail and duty-free shop
markets, which differs slightly from the normal range.
The main product range from the distillery is The Glenlivet range of single malt scotch whisky, but whisky from the distillery is also used in the production of Pernod Ricard's other brands, including Chivas Regal
and Royal Salute whisky
brands.
Bottling of The Glenlivet took place at a Chivas Brothers bottling plant at Newbridge
just outside of Edinburgh
, but that plant was sold at the end of 2009 with bottling to be transferred to other Chivas Brothers plants.
In 2008, The Glenlivet announced expansion plans for the distillery to keep up with increased demand. This includes the installation of a new mash tun, new stills and new wash backs.
, was allegedly instrumental in the passing of this legislation. Although there is no historical record of his involvement in the issue, his tenant
, George Smith, who was operating an illicit distillery at the time, became the first person in Glenlivet to apply for and receive a license to legally produce spirit. This would prove to be an unpopular decision, every other distiller was operating illegally at the time and hoping the new Excise Act would be repealed, something which would not happen if some distillers accepted the new law. Threats were made against George Smith, so George Gordon provided Smith with two pistols to be used to ensure both his own safety and that of the distillery. In 1824, The Glenlivet distillery was established at Upper Drumin by George and his youngest son John Gordon Smith.
George Smith established a second distillery during 1849, named the Cairngorm-Delnabo Distillery but by 1855 or 1856, both distilleries were running at full capacity, and were unable to meet rising demand. The operation of two separate sites was also proving difficult and expensive, so plans were formed around the same time to build a new, larger distillery further down the hill at Minmore. Construction of this new distillery was underway when the old Upper Drumin distillery was destroyed by fire during 1858. Construction of the new Minmore distillery was sped up and salvageable equipment from the Upper Drumin distillery was transferred to the new Mimmore distillery. The Delnabo distillery was closed at the same time and the best parts of the equipment were also transferred to the Minmore plant. Production commenced at the new plant during 1859 and it was around the same time the legal entity of George & J.G. Smith, Ltd. was formed.
George Smith died in 1871 and his son John Gordon Smith inherited the distillery. The quality of the product from their distillery had resulted in the other distilleries in the area renaming their products to "Glenlivet" and by the time of George's death, several distillers were doing so. J.G. Smith decided to take legal action and tried to claim ownership on The Glenlivet name, this legal action was only partially successful - the verdict forced other distillers in the area to stop calling their whisky Glenlivet and gave J.G. Smith and the blender Andrew Usher sole permission to use the brand, but permitted other distilleries to hyphen
ate their distillery name with the "Glenlivet" name, which resulted in new distillery names such as The Glen Moray-Glenlivet Distillery, a distillery which is situated nearby.
The distillery remained open throughout the Great Depression
, an event which affected many other distilleries; it wasn't until the Second World War that the distillery was mothballed for the first time, by Government decree. In the aftermath of World War Two, Britain was heavily indebted and needed to export large quantities of goods to earn foreign revenue (mainly United States dollar
s). Distilling was an ideal industry with whisky much in demand overseas. Distilling restrictions were rapidly lifted and output from the distillery was at pre-war levels by 1947, despite ongoing barley
, fuel and manpower limitations. Bread rationing was retained until 1948 in order to ensure supplies of grain for the distilleries.
Glenlivet Distillery (George & J.G. Smith, Ltd.) merged with the Glen Grant Distillery
(J. & J. Grant Glen Grant, Ltd.) in 1953 to form The Glenlivet and Glen Grant Distillers, Ltd.. The company would go on to merge with Hill Thomson & Co., Ltd. and Longmorn-Glenlivet Distilleries, Ltd. in 1970 before changing their name to Glenlivet Distillers Ltd in 1972. The company was then purchased by Canadian drinks and media company Seagram
in 1977. Seagram's alcohol production interests were acquired by Pernod Ricard
and Diageo
during 2000, with ownership of Glenlivet Distillers passing to Pernod Ricard. Glen Grant Distillery was sold to Campari Group
in 2005.
The Glenlivet is the best selling malt whisky in the United States
, and the fourth best selling in the UK
with a 7% market share. The Glenlivet is the world's second best selling single malt whisky, and current global sales total 6 million bottles per annum.
Limited Releases - Cellar Collection
Travel Retail
These bottlings are only available through the travel retail market, such as airports and ferries.
Other products
Glenlivet 70yo 1940/2010
(45.9%, Gordon & MacPhail, Generations, sherry butt, C#339, 100 Bts.)
Type Scotch Single Malts (Disclosed Distilleries)
Distillery Glenlivet
Bottler Gordon & MacPhail
Brand Name Glenlivet
Year Distilled 1940
Year Bottled 2010
Alcohol By Volume 45.9%
Other Details Generations, sherry butt
Cask Number #339
Bottles 100
Issued 2010
competitions, generally garnering relatively high praise. The Glenlivet 18yr is perhaps the most highly decorated of the offerings, winning three double golds from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition between 2005 and 2010 and yielding only slightly less impressive scores from the Beverage Testing Institute and Wine Enthusiast. The 18yr Nadurra, although only rated twice in recent years, performed extremely well in both cases, earning a double gold medal at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a score of 94 from the Beverage Testing Institute. Other notable results include:
Ballindalloch
Ballindalloch is a small village on the River Spey in Scotland.It is known for its whisky distilleries and for Ballindalloch Castle.-See also:*Glenfarclas Single Malt*Tomintoul...
in Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
that produces single malt Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
. It is the oldest legal distillery in the parish of Glenlivet, and the production place of the Scottish whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
of the same name. It is described in packaging and advertising as "The single malt that started it all". It was founded in 1824 and it has operated almost continuously since. The distillery remained open throughout the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and its only closure came during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Glenlivet distillery has grown in the post-war period to become one of the biggest single malt distilleries in order to keep up with global demand; The Glenlivet brand is the biggest selling malt whisky in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the second biggest selling single malt brand globally.
Today, the distillery is owned by the French alcoholic beverages company Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is a French company that produces distilled beverages. The company's eponymous products, Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are both anise-flavoured liqueurs and are often referred to simply as Pernod or Ricard...
and they oversee the distillery's production of 5,900,000 proof
Proof (alcohol)
Alcohol proof is a measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage. The term was originally used in the United Kingdom and was defined as 7/4 times the alcohol by volume . The UK now uses the abv standard instead of alcohol proof. In the United States, alcoholic proof is defined...
litres per annum. The majority of this – enough for 6 million bottles – is sold as The Glenlivet single malt, with the remainder being used in Pernod Ricard's blended whisky brands.
Production
The distillery draws water from Josie's Well and other springs a short distance from the distillery. The barley comes from CrispCRISP
CRISP may refer to:*C-language Reduced Instruction Set Processor*Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients*Complementary Randomized Integrated Sensing and Processing...
Maltings, Portgordon
Portgordon
Portgordon is a village in Moray, Scotland. Portgordon is a small fishing village located near Buckie. there is a small shop, a hairdresser, a school, a bowling green, a beach and a football pitch. Portgordon is also known for the seals that bathe on the rocks. there are also dolphins out there to...
. Lastly, Glenlivet's stills are lantern shaped with long, narrow necks, all of which helps to produce a light tasting spirit.
The distillery has 4 wash stills each with a capacity of 15,000 litres and 4 spirit stills with a capacity of 10,000 litres.
Spirit from the distillery is then matured in oak casks formerly used to mature bourbon (ex-bourbon), as is normal throughout the industry, with some products being finished in casks previously used to store sherry
Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez , Spain. In Spanish, it is called vino de Jerez....
and port
Port wine
Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties...
.
Glenlivet is categorised as a Speyside distillery
Speyside Single Malts
Speyside single malts are single malt Scotch whiskies, distilled in Strathspey, the area around the River Spey in Moray and Badenoch and Strathspey, in northeastern Scotland....
. The Glenlivet range consists of 12 Years, 15 Years, 16 Years Nàdurra, 18 Years, 21 years, and 25 years, with a number of limited edition whiskies such as the Cellar Collection. Glenlivet also produces a range for the travel retail and duty-free shop
Duty-free shop
Duty-free shops are retail outlets that are exempt from the payment of certain local or national taxes and duties, on the requirement that the goods sold will be sold to travelers who will take them out of the country...
markets, which differs slightly from the normal range.
The main product range from the distillery is The Glenlivet range of single malt scotch whisky, but whisky from the distillery is also used in the production of Pernod Ricard's other brands, including Chivas Regal
Chivas Regal
Chivas Regal is a blended Scotch whisky produced by Chivas Brothers, owned by Pernod Ricard. According to the brand packaging, Chivas Brothers was first established in 1801 in Aberdeen, Scotland. The Chivas brand's home is Strathisla Distillery at Keith, Moray in Speyside, Scotland.It is the...
and Royal Salute whisky
Royal Salute whisky
Royal Salute is a Scotch whisky produced by Chivas Brothers, founded in 1801 in Aberdeen, Scotland. The Royal Salute brand's home is Strathisla Distillery at Keith, Moray in Speyside, Scotland....
brands.
Bottling of The Glenlivet took place at a Chivas Brothers bottling plant at Newbridge
Newbridge, Edinburgh
Newbridge is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south of Kirkliston. Newbridge had a total population of 1,013 at the 2001 Census.-Local amenities:...
just outside of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, but that plant was sold at the end of 2009 with bottling to be transferred to other Chivas Brothers plants.
In 2008, The Glenlivet announced expansion plans for the distillery to keep up with increased demand. This includes the installation of a new mash tun, new stills and new wash backs.
History
Illicit distilleries were commonplace throughout the Speyside area from medieval times but were largely made redundant with the passing the Excise Act, in 1823. It was under this legislation that legal distilleries could be formed, subject to holding a license. Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of GordonAlexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon
Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon KT , styled Marquess of Huntly until 1752, was a Scottish nobleman, described by Kaimes as the "greatest subject in Britain", and was also known as the Cock o' the North, the traditional epithet attached to the chief of the Gordon clan.-Early life:Alexander...
, was allegedly instrumental in the passing of this legislation. Although there is no historical record of his involvement in the issue, his tenant
Leasehold estate
A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to land or property in which a lessee or a tenant holds rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord....
, George Smith, who was operating an illicit distillery at the time, became the first person in Glenlivet to apply for and receive a license to legally produce spirit. This would prove to be an unpopular decision, every other distiller was operating illegally at the time and hoping the new Excise Act would be repealed, something which would not happen if some distillers accepted the new law. Threats were made against George Smith, so George Gordon provided Smith with two pistols to be used to ensure both his own safety and that of the distillery. In 1824, The Glenlivet distillery was established at Upper Drumin by George and his youngest son John Gordon Smith.
George Smith established a second distillery during 1849, named the Cairngorm-Delnabo Distillery but by 1855 or 1856, both distilleries were running at full capacity, and were unable to meet rising demand. The operation of two separate sites was also proving difficult and expensive, so plans were formed around the same time to build a new, larger distillery further down the hill at Minmore. Construction of this new distillery was underway when the old Upper Drumin distillery was destroyed by fire during 1858. Construction of the new Minmore distillery was sped up and salvageable equipment from the Upper Drumin distillery was transferred to the new Mimmore distillery. The Delnabo distillery was closed at the same time and the best parts of the equipment were also transferred to the Minmore plant. Production commenced at the new plant during 1859 and it was around the same time the legal entity of George & J.G. Smith, Ltd. was formed.
George Smith died in 1871 and his son John Gordon Smith inherited the distillery. The quality of the product from their distillery had resulted in the other distilleries in the area renaming their products to "Glenlivet" and by the time of George's death, several distillers were doing so. J.G. Smith decided to take legal action and tried to claim ownership on The Glenlivet name, this legal action was only partially successful - the verdict forced other distillers in the area to stop calling their whisky Glenlivet and gave J.G. Smith and the blender Andrew Usher sole permission to use the brand, but permitted other distilleries to hyphen
Hyphen
The hyphen is a punctuation mark used to join words and to separate syllables of a single word. The use of hyphens is called hyphenation. The hyphen should not be confused with dashes , which are longer and have different uses, or with the minus sign which is also longer...
ate their distillery name with the "Glenlivet" name, which resulted in new distillery names such as The Glen Moray-Glenlivet Distillery, a distillery which is situated nearby.
The distillery remained open throughout the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, an event which affected many other distilleries; it wasn't until the Second World War that the distillery was mothballed for the first time, by Government decree. In the aftermath of World War Two, Britain was heavily indebted and needed to export large quantities of goods to earn foreign revenue (mainly United States dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
s). Distilling was an ideal industry with whisky much in demand overseas. Distilling restrictions were rapidly lifted and output from the distillery was at pre-war levels by 1947, despite ongoing barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, fuel and manpower limitations. Bread rationing was retained until 1948 in order to ensure supplies of grain for the distilleries.
Glenlivet Distillery (George & J.G. Smith, Ltd.) merged with the Glen Grant Distillery
Glen Grant (distillery)
Glen Grant is a Speyside distillery, that produces single malt Scotch whisky. The distillery was owned by Chivas Brothers Ltd, best known for their Chivas Regal blended scotch whisky. It is the world's second-biggest single malt whisky brand....
(J. & J. Grant Glen Grant, Ltd.) in 1953 to form The Glenlivet and Glen Grant Distillers, Ltd.. The company would go on to merge with Hill Thomson & Co., Ltd. and Longmorn-Glenlivet Distilleries, Ltd. in 1970 before changing their name to Glenlivet Distillers Ltd in 1972. The company was then purchased by Canadian drinks and media company Seagram
Seagram
The Seagram Company Ltd. was a large corporation headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that was the largest distiller of alcoholic beverages in the world. Toward the end of its independent existence it also controlled various entertainment and other business ventures...
in 1977. Seagram's alcohol production interests were acquired by Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is a French company that produces distilled beverages. The company's eponymous products, Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are both anise-flavoured liqueurs and are often referred to simply as Pernod or Ricard...
and Diageo
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
during 2000, with ownership of Glenlivet Distillers passing to Pernod Ricard. Glen Grant Distillery was sold to Campari Group
Campari Group
Gruppo Campari is an Italian-based multinational producer of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The group holds a portfolio of over 40 brands marketed and distributed in more than 190 countries...
in 2005.
The Glenlivet is the best selling malt whisky in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the fourth best selling in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with a 7% market share. The Glenlivet is the world's second best selling single malt whisky, and current global sales total 6 million bottles per annum.
Extension
A new extension with an additional mashtun, eight washbacks and 6 stills was opened by the Prince of Wales on June 5, 2010. The capacity of the distillery has been increased by 75%Products
Core Range- The Glenlivet 12 Year Old
- The Glenlivet 15 Year Old French Oak Reserve
- The Glenlivet Nàdurra 16 Year Old
- The Glenlivet 18 Year Old
- The Glenlivet Archive 21 Year Old
- The Glenlivet XXV 25 Year Old
Limited Releases - Cellar Collection
- The Glenlivet Cellar Collection 1972 Cask Strength
- The Glenlivet Cellar Collection 1959 Cask Strength
- The Glenlivet Cellar Collection 1964 Cask Strength
- The Glenlivet Cellar Collection 1967
- The Glenlivet Cellar Collection French Oak Finish 1983
- The Glenlivet Cellar Collection American Oak Finish 30 Year Old
Travel Retail
These bottlings are only available through the travel retail market, such as airports and ferries.
- The Glenlivet 12 Year Old First Fill
- The Glenlivet 15 Year Old
Other products
Glenlivet 70yo 1940/2010
(45.9%, Gordon & MacPhail, Generations, sherry butt, C#339, 100 Bts.)
Type Scotch Single Malts (Disclosed Distilleries)
Distillery Glenlivet
Bottler Gordon & MacPhail
Brand Name Glenlivet
Year Distilled 1940
Year Bottled 2010
Alcohol By Volume 45.9%
Other Details Generations, sherry butt
Cask Number #339
Bottles 100
Issued 2010
Awards and Reviews
Glenlivet's offerings have frequently been submitted for review at spirit ratingsSpirit ratings
With a growing number of microdistilleries and an expanding number of offerings from large corporate entities, a number of institutions have arisen to provide professional evaluations of individual spirits...
competitions, generally garnering relatively high praise. The Glenlivet 18yr is perhaps the most highly decorated of the offerings, winning three double golds from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition between 2005 and 2010 and yielding only slightly less impressive scores from the Beverage Testing Institute and Wine Enthusiast. The 18yr Nadurra, although only rated twice in recent years, performed extremely well in both cases, earning a double gold medal at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a score of 94 from the Beverage Testing Institute. Other notable results include:
- The Glenlivet 12yr Single Malt: Four silver medals and a gold between 2005 and 2010 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
- The Glenlivet 15yr French Oak Reserve Single Malt: gold medal at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
- The Glenlivet 16yr Nàdurra Single Malt: silver medal at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
- The Glenlivet 21yr Single Malt: two double golds, one gold, and one silver medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition between 2007 and 2010 and scores of 94 and 93 from the Beverage Testing Institute between 2009 and 2010.
- The Glenlivet XXV (25yr) Single Malt: silver medal at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a score of 95 from the Beverage Testing Institute in 2010.