Distilled in 1983 and bottled in 2003, this Cellar Collection release is a 19-year-old Glenlivet finished in French oak. It was bottled at 46% ABV, and the French oak gives it a spicier, nuttier cast than most Glenlivet of its era.
About This Whisky
This Cellar Collection bottling took Glenlivet distilled in 1983 and finished it in French oak before bottling in 2003 at 46% ABV. French oak is tighter-grained and more tannic than American oak, and it adds spice and a nutty, toffee depth.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Toffee, caramel and roasted nuts, with raisin, orange and a hint of coffee.
- Palate: Round and fairly dry, showing baked apple, mocha, clove and fine-grained oak tannin.
- Finish: Medium length, spicy and a touch bitter, like strong black tea.
Serving & Food
Serve neat at 18 to 20°C in a nosing glass, with a small jug of water nearby in case the oak needs softening. It suits roast duck with orange, walnut bread and blue cheese, or coffee-dusted truffles.
How to Enjoy
Drinkers who like to compare cask influence, and Glenlivet collectors filling the gaps in their Cellar Collection run.
Product Details
Distillery: The Glenlivet
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Series: Cellar Collection
Vintage: 1983
Bottled: 2003
Age: About 19 years
Finish: French oak
ABV: 46% ABV
Volume: 750mL
About the Distillery
The Glenlivet stands high in a remote glen near Ballindalloch in Moray, country that once hid a great many illicit stills. Over the decades its managers kept up a quiet tradition of setting aside a few casks they judged exceptional and leaving them to age undisturbed in the distillery's cellars.
The Cellar Collection was the way that reserved stock reached the bottle, one vintage at a time, picked at the distillery. Glenlivet's pear-and-flower house character makes it a good canvas for different kinds of wood, and this 1983 was a chance to taste it with French oak.