Blanch and Shock Stand at The Glenlivet, Spirit of Speyside

Some snaps from The Glenlivet experiential whisky tasting at Spirit of Speyside last week.

Blanch and Shock (Mike Knowlden (left) and Josh Pollen (right)

Throughout the day, food designers Blanch + Shock ran a series of food tasting experiences. Engineered to play to all the senses, the duo paired The Glenlivet’s finest whiskies with unexpected ingredients and tinctures.

The Glenlivet 18 year old was sampled with hay and sweet clover-cured trout

Each pairing was designed to deconstruct the flavour profile of The Glenlivet’s expressions, which caused guests to look again at the overall taste of the whisky.

Guests sampling shaved ice made of ingredients foraged from the local environment

For almost 200 years The Glenlivet has been taking inspiration from the natural surroundings of the distillery, the landscape of Speyside, and the distillation and maturation processes, which were all on display at The Glenlivet, Blanch + Shock experiential experience.

Guests at The Glenlivet sampling Nadurra Oloroso with a truffle and coconut

Edible perfume accompanied The Glenlivet Nadurra Oloroso

The Glenlivet Winchester Collection

From October 2016, The Glenlivet is releasing the second edition in its series of 50 year old single malt Scotch whiskies: The Glenlivet Winchester Collection Vintage 1966. Crafted over generations, for generations to come, only 100 bottles of this liquid history, matured in an exceptional high quality sherry cask, will be released priced at $25,000 each.

Created by The Glenlivet Master Distiller, Robert Arthur, in 1966, and subsequently cared for by the Master Distillers of The Glenlivet, it is released today under the guardianship of Alan Winchester. Vintage 1966 joins Vintage 1964 to become one of the rarest, exquisite and most sought after whisky collections in the world. Whilst this precious whisky has been resting in its cask the world has changed around it. Mankind took its first steps on the moon, the Berlin wall came down, and the world was introduced to the invention of the personal computer and mobile phone.

Vintage 1966 was identified early on as being a cask of outstanding quality and has since been slowly and steadily developing the signature flavours that make The Glenlivet an enduring benchmark of quality. The trademark soft and sweet complexity is layered by a delicate cinnamon and liquorice spice, followed by an exceptionally long, smooth finish, with a hint of dryness.

Alan Winchester’s own bottle will be auctioned at Christie’s on 21st October, alongside the unique opportunity to lay down Vintage 2016. Proceeds from the auction will go to the British Crafts Council to help champion craft for future generations.

This commitment to craft runs through The Glenlivet Winchester Collection Vintage 1966 experience: The Glenlivet commissioned Brodie Nairn of acclaimed studio Glasstorm, to produce a hand blown glass bottle around the concept of water, paying homage to The Glenlivet’s Gaelic translation of ‘Valley of the Smooth Flowing One’, with elegant lines lending gentle movement to the sculpted glass. Designer silversmith Richard Fox crafted the gold stopper set with a smoky quartz Cairngorm Stone – specially selected to echo the richly dark liquid of Vintage 1966 – while esteemed wood craftsman, John Galvin, made the beautiful cherry wood cabinet that houses the whisky.

The release of Vintage 1966 marks another milestone for The Glenlivet Winchester Collection. Casks of this age and quality are such a rare thing these days, that the resulting single malt is literally liquid history in a glass. I’m immensely proud to release this wonderful whisky, which has been cared for and crafted over generations.

I’m also proud to be auctioning my own personal bottle and a bottle of future Vintage 2016 to be enjoyed in 50 years’ time. This will mark yet another moment of history in the making and I’m so pleased that the proceeds of the auction will go towards investing in the future success of talented and innovative British craftspeople.
– Alan Winchester: The Glenlivet Master Distiller

The release of the second chapter of The Winchester Collection sets yet another new benchmark in single malt. Each chapter: Vintage 1964, Vintage 1966 and, in 50 years’ time, Vintage 2016 is steeped in dedication, passion and excellence. Taking inspiration from this, we have chosen to partner with the British Crafts Council to truly support the next generation of crafts people.
– Miriam Eceolaza: Global Brand Director for The Glenlivet

The Master Distiller’s bottle from The Glenlivet Winchester Collection, alongside Vintage 2016, will be auctioned out of Christie’s New York, on the 21st October, with a total of just 100 bottles to be made available for purchase worldwide.

To find out more information about The Glenlivet Winchester Collection and to join The Guardians of The Glenlivet, visit www.theglenlivet.com/guardians.

The Glenlivet Cipher

Food and drink connoisseurs around the world are being challenged by The Glenlivet to embark on a flavour journey to decode the secret tasting notes of The Glenlivet Cipher.

The Glenlivet Cipher is available from June 2016 in 25 countries

Presented in an opaque, black bottle without any cask information, The Glenlivet Cipher is a Scotch whisky shrouded in mystery that helps whisky lovers to push the boundaries of flavour exploration. Crafted from a unique cask combination that has never before been used by The Glenlivet, Cipher will offer a new flavour experience to explore whilst staying true to the flawlessly smooth and fruity flavour that has made the distillery famous.

Those that accept the challenge will begin their journey on the label by searching for one of the official flavours hidden within a cryptic code, before being directed to cipher.theglenlivet.com to face the ultimate flavour test.

On cipher.theglenlivet.com, The Glenlivet Master Distiller, Alan Winchester, unveils The Glenlivet Cipher flavour experience where hopefuls will challenge their distinguished nose and palate to decode the hidden flavours in this unique whisky.

Visitors who complete the exploration receive a cipher of their personal flavour notes, and a score that reveals how close they came to unlocking the official tasting notes of The Glenlivet Cipher, which can be shared on social media using #TheGlenlivetCipher and @TheGlenlivet. Do you have the makings of a master distiller? Can you decode its secrets? These are all the questions that can only be answered by The Glenlivet Cipher.

Through the launch of The Glenlivet Cipher, I am laying down the ultimate test for discerning foodies and drinkers around the world looking to prove their tasting credentials. I am pleased to invite people to join us on a journey of flavour discovery and I will be checking social media and the hashtag #TheGlenlivetCipher throughout the campaign to see who manages to crack the code and unlock the tasting notes of this new enigmatic single malt.

The Glenlivet Cipher is unique in that it is crafted from a combination of casks never used before at the distillery, so we are excited to explore new flavour territories that build upon the flawlessly smooth and fruity style of The Glenlivet. The official tasting notes will be revealed in the coming months, so get tasting, share your comments online and stayed tuned to The Glenlivet.
– Alan Winchester: The Glenlivet Master Distiller

The Glenlivet Cipher is available from June 2016 in 25 countries, including the United Kingdom, Taiwan and Canada, at the recommended selling price of $120. Members of The Glenlivet Guardians will be first to discover the official secret tasting notes of The Glenlivet Cipher when they are unveiled by The Glenlivet Master Distiller, Alan Winchester, later in the year.

The Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish

The Glenlivet has launched a third expression for its celebrated Nàdurra range, as it continues to honour the historic traditions of making single malt whisky through new and innovative cask finishes. The Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish is the first release to have a subtle, smoky taste profile, having been finished in American oak casks that have previously held heavily-peated Scotch whisky.

Bottled at 61.5% ABV cask strength

Bottled at 61.5% ABV cask strength, The Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish is inspired by the authentic production processes used at The Glenlivet Distillery by its founder, George Smith, who originally used peat smoke to dry the malted barley. Finished in peated casks, the classic, smooth and fruity house style that has made the range so famous has been enriched with gentle, aromatic smoky notes, to offer a brand new The Glenlivet experience to whisky enthusiasts. The expression will also be available in Global Travel Retail at 48% ABV.

Available in nine domestic markets, including USA and France, and Global Travel Retail from October 2015, the release follows the launch of The Glenlivet Nàdurra Oloroso and The Glenlivet Nàdurra First Fill Selection in 2014. The Glenlivet craftsmen individually nosed each cask to ensure the perfect balance between fruit and smoke in the whisky, which has been bottled in small batches with no chill-filtration to offer the complexity, full body and distinctively creamy texture of a whisky that has just been drawn from the cask.

I’m delighted to present the purest expression of The Glenlivet, which pays homage to the distillery’s legendary past. Nàdurra captures the original passion behind George Smith’s distillery, which inspires us to create new flavour journeys for consumers so his spirit remains alive today. The Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish demonstrates this beautifully, with its warming mouthfeel, swirls of vanilla cream and subtle traces of tangy smoke, and I hope that whisky enthusiasts now and in the future enjoy this rare taste that echoes of the past.
– Alan Winchester: Master Distiller at The Glenlivet

Interest among whisky fans for new, original and well-made single malt Scotch has continued to grow in recent years, and we at The Glenlivet are proud to have set the benchmark for quality and innovation. The Glenlivet Nàdurra range has enjoyed a cult following due to its rich craftsmanship story and commitment to traditional 19th Century production methods, and with releases such as The Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish we hope to inspire more and more increasingly discerning drinkers to learn about the craftsmanship, provenance and heritage of ‘the single malt that’s started it all’.
– Nikki Burgess: Global Brand Director for The Glenlivet

The Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish is presented in packaging which emphasises the artisanal nature of the range. The design includes a prominent batch number, cask-like stamps and a more visible translation of the Gaelic word, Nàdurra – meaning natural – to illustrate the essence of the brand.