Today, with their recent expansion in 2010 Pernod Ricard/Chivas is putting the distillery up in the heavy league of producers with over 10 million liters/year.
I visited in May 2013 during the Spirit of Speyside Festival and was pleasently surprised with the quality of their 'Spirit of the Malt tour' ending in the warehouse sipping alot on Glenlivet 1977 from a 1st fill sherry cask. Now, don't take this as a given, if you visit - the cask is probably gone along long time ago, but I'm sure they've replaced it with something just as delicious.
You can read more about the 'Spirit of the Malt'-tour here - I recommend it, even if it only takes through the standard range of Glenlivet up to the XXV.
Actually, when looking at the quality of tours available in Speyside, Pernod Ricard/Chivas probably comes up on top, with their tours at Aberlour and Glenlivet, but do not forget about the Balvenie in Dufftown... a very good one too... they're not a part of the Pernod Ricard/Chivas group, though.
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New still house at Glenlivet Distillery, May 4th 2013 © The Malt Desk
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Glenlivet 1988 2.78 (xx.06.1988/xx.10.2010) 'Kissed up by sweet promises' 21yo, 58,3%, Refill sherry butt, 512 bottles, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Colour is full straw
Nose:
Some mint carried on the back of alcohol, vanilla, cinnamon and apple, also quite some citrus notes of the lemon/grapefruit kind and a slight solventy note. Water brings out more malty/grainy notes along with some musty old cellar notes as well.
Taste:
Cooked fruits, porridge w/ sugar, hint of a flowery note, grass, quite alot of honey, nutmeg and vanilla custard and some aniseed. The sherry shows itself as a slight nutty and white winey edge. The finish is shorter than expected on this one, mainly on oak and malt.
Though the finish is short, it doesn't change the fact that this is very good whisky!
I'd take a bottle! ...and thanks to GNJ for the sample
87/100!
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