The Glenlivet is located in the Speyside production area in Scotland, UK. It is the world's top Scottish single malt whiskey brand.
The Glenlivet was officially founded in 1824 by George Smith and was one of the first legally licensed distilleries. Prior to this, although the whiskey produced by George Smith was illegal, it was appreciated by King George IV of England and became famous ever since. In 1864, George Smit established a business relationship with the well-known whiskey merchant Andrew P. Usher, and their cooperation led to The Glenlivet becoming one of the first distilleries to export whiskey and achieve great success. After the death of George Smith in 1871, The Glenlive was taken over by his youngest son, John Gordon Smith. At that time, a large number of distilleries emerged around the River Livet, and many of them had competitors naming their distilleries "Glenlivet" to enhance their reputation. To this end, John Gordon Smith launched a long-term rights protection action, and finally in 1884, he filed a lawsuit to correct the name of The Glenlivet Distillery, making it the only Scotch whiskey brand with the right to use the name "The Glenlivet".
In 1921, Captain Bill Smith Grant, John Gordon Smith's grandnephew, took over The Glenlivet. Under the dual challenges of the Great Depression and American Prohibition, Captain Bill Smith Grant's unremitting persistence allowed The Glenlivet to have a place in the American whiskey market. By the mid-20th century, the whiskey produced by The Glenlivet accounted for half of all Scotch malt whiskey sales in the United States. Today, The Glenlivet is owned by the famous French Pernod Ricard and has become the best-selling malt whiskey brand in the United States and the second-best-selling single malt whiskey producer in the world.
Since 1979, The Glenlivet has been brewed by Alan Winchester. The experienced distiller also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the 2018 International Spirits Challenge. Under the guidance of Alan Winchester, the winery first soaks Scottish barley in water for several days, then dries it after the barley has sprouted. The kilned malt is then ground into powder and mixed with natural spring water from Josie’s Well in a mash tun to create wort. The wort is then transferred to barrels made of Oregon Pine for fermentation, producing a mash with an alcohol content of 8-9%. During the distillation process, the mash will be distilled into low-alcohol wine with an alcohol content of 20-22% in the wash still, and these low-alcohol wine will continue to be distilled in the spirit still. . The liquid obtained after distillation and cooling will be divided into head liquid, center liquid and tail liquid, and only the center liquid will be put into selected European oak barrels and American oak barrels for aging. From its inception to the present, The Glenlivet has always adhered to the concept of "slow work produces fine work" and uses professional standards, exquisite craftsmanship and rigorous attitude to create high-quality whiskey.
When George Smith began distilling, The Glenlivet had no age statements and he selected whisky from casks of a range of ages.
We have replicated this freedom with The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve, selecting whisky from a variety of traditional aged oak casks. Then, to lend a modern twist to the flavor of the expression, our makers marry together a selection of the aged oak casks and American first-fill oak casks. American first-fill oak casks are those that have never before been used to mature whisky. The selective use of these casks provides a smooth, creamy sweetness that mingles harmoniously with the delicate flavors and complex fruity tones already present in the whisky.
