The Glenlivet 25 Year Old Scotch Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: A-

As part of their rebranding push for the US market, The Glenlivet replaced certain whiskies with the new Sample Room Collection, consisting of a 21 and 25 year old. The new 25 Year Old single malt is a direct follow on to the previous XXV. The old XXV is still around on shelves, and is easily identified by both its Roman numerals name and less modern styling. That single malt was also bottled at 43% ABV, which is one of the concrete differences between it and the new version, which is 40%.

Also, the finishing for the two iterations is somewhat different. XXV received a long, two-year spell of secondary maturation in first-fill Sherry casks. The new 25 year old doesn’t speak to how long it spent in secondary maturation, but is more specific about the wood: Pedro Ximénez Sherry and Troncais oak Cognac casks.

The Scotch
My guess, based on the coloring, is that the finishing period for this new version was also a long one. It’s dark, very dark indeed for a Scotch Whisky, sitting squarely in middle amber, bourbon territory.

The cask finishes sing on this whisky. The nose smacks of a rich, earth-ily chocolate style, booze-soaked fruitcake. It’s dense with citrus zest, raisins and chunks of dried figs, spiced up with ginger and drizzled in vanilla. Upon the sip, the silky smooth mouthfeel lands immediately, followed by a flavor that picks up on the sweet and spicy elements of the nose, but leaves the earthy chocolate behind. Instead, it takes on a tobacco leaf aspect, with a mild oakiness rising on the back end. The finish delivers on a light touch of that woodiness, but it lingers longer than such a gentle finish has any right to do.

The Price
Online retailers place both this item and it’s predecessor, the XXV, between $450 and $600.