The Glenlivet 21 Year Old ‘Archive’ is one of the older expressions from this distillery, and it is a mixture of different kinds of casks and wood types.
Glenlivet 21 yo ‘Archive’
(43%, OB 2014, Batch #0714M)
Nose: light and fruity, with lots of bright citrus notes (lemons, oranges), Granny Smith and floral touches. Sultanas. Growing spicier, with cinnamon and light grassy notes, moving towards polished oak. Hints of biscuits and acacia honey.
Mouth: very malty and honeyed, still lots of oranges. Then the spices set in: ginger, cinnamon and some tangy oak. Still this grassy edge. Roasted nuts (hazelnut, walnut). Herbal liqueur. All in all it’s sherried but maybe not as richly as the colour suggested.
Finish: medium long, on zesty citrus, woody notes, dark chocolate and cinnamon.
A balanced Glenlivet, malty and fruity but with a firm spicy kick. It used to be very good value, but it has seen a significant price increase in recent years. Around € 180.
Score: 86/100