Glenlivet 12 Year Licensed Dram

I finally had the opportunity to open my bottle of Glenlivet's Licensed Dram, a special release connected to one of their most exceptional bottlings, Illicit Stills. These bottlings pay tribute to the history of Glenlivet, recognized as the very first whisky to receive a legal license. This expression has been bottled at 48% ABV and aged in both first-fill casks, ex-Bourbon, and sherry casks. On the nose, it begins with notes of fruitcake and yeast, reminiscent of a spongy cake. There are also hints of red apples with dulce de leche, pecan pie, and hot honey, along with a touch of cough syrup. After allowing it to breathe, it offered more apple and honey, complemented by toffee and butterscotch, and a subtle smokiness. On the palate, this is genuinely enjoyable. It starts with dulce de leche for a moment before a powerful surge of spices. Dulce de leche returns, paired with red apples, cinnamon, cough syrup, and hot honey – it's quite spicy and delicious. The aftertaste evokes a vintage quality, with notes of tobacco, peat, burnt hay, and ash. It's a fantastic experience. Overall, this is a highly enjoyable and elegant dram, full of character. It rivals the Illicit Stills expression, and it's evident that Glenlivet selected superb casks for this bottling, which is appreciated given their reasonable price point. An excellent effort, earning a score of 91 out of 100.

This Glenlivet bottling is a very good, high-quality whisky. It's comparable to the dependable Bunna 12 that has undergone a sherry cask finish. This expression surpasses the excellent Illicit Still release.

Impressive to witness what the distillery can achieve at 48% ABV. It would be even better if they also refrained from chill-filtration and used natural coloring.

A welcome journey back to older methods of distillation. Appropriately intense.

Sweetness from peach and cinnamon with a touch of spice. It's a solid 48% ABV. I approve.

Superior to the original Jura, pairs well with pickled onion crisps.