The Glenlivet Replaces 12 Year Old With NAS In Certain Markets

By Richard Thomas

The Glenlivet, the world’s second-ranked single malt brand and one of only two that ships more than one million cases per year, has revealed that their new no age statement (NAS) The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve will replace their entry level 12 Year Old in certain “mature markets,” such as the UK and Germany.

This move resembles what The Macallan has already done: introducing NAS expressions in European markets while preserving their age statement whiskies in the U.S., the world’s largest market for whisky.

The Glenlivet has admitted that their stock is under demand pressure, and their aged stock in particular, leading many pundits to label this move in simple terms as a shortage measure. A more complex view is that The Glenlivet is shifting stock to cover expansion goals in the surging $70 billion a year American spirits market, robbing Peter in hopes of making more money from Paul in the future.