ralfy review 906 - Glenlivet 12yo @48%vol: (Illicit Still)
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- Опубликовано: 5 дек 2021
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It’s taken them a long time to realise that they can release something approaching an integrity bottling without damaging their standard releases. Illicit Still doesn’t make Glenlivet 12 any worse, it just enhances the ability of consumers to explore more if they want to.
I actually emailed the distillery and was told they add a small amount of caramel for reasons of standardisation - I guess the marketing people are still winning that fight. I understand why. Not chill filtering is very admirable in this product though. Well done GL and thanks Ralfy for another quality episode
Glad you like it, it’s good to have a fair and interesting Glenlivet back on the shelves. I hope this one is still about…
What about the 18? It's widely considered to be one of the best 18s.. is it true? Now they changed it, new version came out with new labels and 40% instead of 43. How did that turn out?
Chances it will become Glen Love It instead of Glen Leave It.
Great to see this trend happening. I honestly believe that you may have nudged the whole industry in this direction. Much appreciation for your efforts. 🙏
I’ve bought 5 bottles of this, over the last 12 months, making sure there was always one in reserve. It was also my “holiday whisky”, along with clynelish 14. At the moment I’d rank it in the top 5 of my affordable whiskies.
Hi Howard, what are other four?
@@michalwierzbicki8602 Clynelish 14, Deanston 12, Arran Quarter cask and Ledaig 10.
I almost always have one of each in reserve.
Deanston 12 never out of stock in my house.
@@howardbecdove9780 Ledaig 10 is fantastic
I loved it so much more than the standard.
one of the most excellent malt mentions!!
tribe called quest - nyc whiskey gang represent represent!
Glenlivet bottled craft style and cask strength used to happen until about 6 years ago. I'm talking about the stunning 16 year old Nadurra aged in ex-bourbon. That was a fantastic whisky and I thought it was a nail in Glenlivet's coffin when they pulled the plug on that one because it really showed how good Glenlivet is when treated with respect. This is a step in the right direction but they can do better.
Love it, the Glenlivet illicit still 12 is delicious, Viva la Revoluc'ion✊🏻🏴
Glenlivet has produced an integrety bottling for years called Nadura. I really enjoyed the peated one
Kinda integrity thouth since they scrapped the age statement... ;-)
@@Hogibaer Those old 16s are still out there, though, and they are fantastic. =) (Cheers Hogi!)
Yes, "kinda integrity", I'd always assumed no colorant and yet that information is conspicuously missing from the label. But I agree, Nadurra 16 was awesome!
I'll give Nadura a semi-integrity, generally good value mind
I'll give Nadura a semi-integrity, generally good value mind
Heard good stuff about this one! Hope they make it a regular thing and get rid of the 40-43% nonsense!
I’ve been waiting for this one Ralfy.
I hope they continue releasing these, thoroughly enjoyed this one
Just picked up a bottle of this for £40 and at that price it's a bargain. Thanks for the review Ralfy, always a pleasure to drink along with you.
Thanks for reviewing my malt mention, I found this one a lot better than the standards.
I picked this one up sometime earlier this year. Fruit, Spice, Toffee. It really hit all the marks for me. I hope we see more of these types of bottlings.
Nice review Ralfy. Thank you.
Always enjoy the commentaries both on the whiskies and other things -“Canon, you should be ashamed of yourself!” Ha ha, but agree. Gentle rollie -Rollie’s, no shakes-shakies. The Glenlivet 12 Illicit was the first whiskey I ever tasted. Fell in love with it immediately. The suggestion of the water is exactly right according to my experience. A great review, so thank ye kindly, Ralphy.
Sounds interesting thanks for sharing your thoughts. I just ended the three day Milano Whisky Festival which was excellent. Lots of new things to try but in the end I bought a glencadam 10 and a new 5 yo NAS from Yorkshire called Filey Bay. Their cask strength bottlings were excellent
This series of whiskies has won me over. Looking forward to future expressions.
Dear Ralfy,
Thank you for this review.
I really like this bottle and can not wait for glenlivet to get to the older whiskies.
Keep it up and enjoy the holidays.
Greetings from the Netherlands
Greeting from down under Ralfy, really appreciate this review, every time I see you are reviewing one that I have in my collection,it makes me feel that I am getting more experienced 😁 my go to single malts are Livet and Fiddich , they are really great with reasonable pricing. I bought this couple of months ago and had about 1/3 of the bottle, love the bottle shape too, since I couldn't find it anymore, I have left it in my cabinet, they have also Nadura selection and I have them all, they are absolutely brilliant , cast strength which I love and so tasty. Have a nice day and tale care.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I never would have given it a second look. What a departure from their basic 12. They are even on sale right now. I'll have to pick up more.
I’ve been waiting for your thoughts on this one!
Thanks Ralfy!
Great review like always
This is $50 locally. Seems like a reasonable gamble considering I don’t balk at paying $75 for Glenallachie 12, $65 for Bunnahabhain 12, $65 for Arran 10, $65 for Edradour 10, $60 for Glencadam 10….etc. I’ll put this on my list.
Well from one miserable git to another Malt Maestro, thank you yet again for your verbal illustrations that continue to provide colour to the landscape of our collective 'malt journeys'. I would certainly be entertaining the wood burner on the 906X malt mate, lest it becomes a brumal bothy!
I waiting for this review a few months! The standard version was one of my startpoints in Scotch really. I saved myself 3 bottles of this for the good reason, that this is a better version of an starter I used to love. I remember one particular bottle in a studentsclub of my first university. I am sure I was the only one, who drank from this bottle.
I’m not a big fan of Glenlivet’s standard offerings but I have been curious about this one. I took a tour of the distillery a couple years ago and they gave us a taste of whisky straight from the cask that they said isn’t one of their normal bottlings. It was one of the best whiskies I’ve ever tried so I know they have the ability to make some really great stuff. I’d love to give this a try to see what they can offer their consumers if they begin shifting towards higher proof bottlings.
. . . this happens all the time at many distilleries.
Ralfry my malt master guru always buy his whisky of the year never disappoints
Hi Ralfy, I like the núderra range, I’m yet to open my bottle of this 12 year old. Something tells me I’m going too like it. Good and as always a honest review, cheers Ralfy.
I like this dram since it came out, great dram with reasonable price!! please add a drop or a few drops of water, and you will get quite different armors from it. A great review that I have been waiting for for months. thanks, Ralfy.
One of my fav 'standard+' bottlings since its release. Imho there were some casks of older whisky involved as well as this one has a more prolonged woody, very slighly peaty finish than Livet's normal 12 year olds. Tipp: The 12 Illicit Still gets better over time with a few months of air time. Btw. recently the new '12 Licensed' has been released, the 2nd one in the series. Looking forward to that one, already on the way... :-)
Been drinking this for months from Amazon. £36 a bottle.
It's now £49
Thanks a bunch Malt Master....
If Ralfy gives a whisky an 86, it is certainly worth buying...
This is a great example of the influence Ralfy and Roy have on serious whisky folks.
Sipping this now and, as my first Glenlivet, have been very impressed. Sweet but without overdoing it and a nice richness on the palate.
Great value here in the US at $34. This tastes very similar to a previous special release Glenlivet 12 1st fill 42.3% that was all 1st fill ex bourbon casks. Guessing that this also has a high percentage of 1st fill barrels as well. Blended a small sample bottle with a Signatory Glenlivet 13 1st fill sherry butt 46% ncf nc and after letting it sit for a couple of weeks the result was quite good. Cheers
Good stuff as per usual bud 👏
I think this is a really good whiskey and hopefully a new trend beginning in the industry. Its nice to taste the real malt, unfussed around with.
Great review as usual, I trieded 10 days ago was pleasantly surprised, I absolutely agree it tastes much better at richer on a second day, but comparing to base 12-year-old this one had a lot more character and a lot more going on for it. I hate to say in US price difference is quite significant I pay $55 for it (and it can be all the way up to 65) because I really want to try it. I'm just glad to see more and more larger distilleries start making more somewhat integrity bottles We all going to benefit from it.
Thanks for reviewing my malt mention, I really enjoyed this one as I find this a much better one compaired to the standards.
I had this Scotch about the time this review came out and I loved it. I went back to buy some more and there wasn't any to be had. Now a year later, it has become available again. I have been stocking up on it, making it a standard offering. I am currently hunting the Licensed Dram.
It's been nearly 10 years since I've had a truly memorable Glenlivet, and that was the now-discontinued 16 year old Nadurra. I might have to see if I can find a bottle of this.
I just saw it on the shelf and thought…..”Let’s see what the master has to say”. Guess I’ll head back and pick up a bottle.
I don't spend my hard earned money on anything unless it's.....*Ralfy Recommended*
Steampunker time. Greetings from Aveiro, Portugal.
Excellent Review as always. Ralfy we got to get you some better heating in the bothy. We can see your breath condensing in the air. We dont want you catching cold out there. Need you around for a long time. I will donate to a keep Ralfy's Bothy warm fund if you set one up!!
Hey Ralfy! It’s as smooth as the late frummer suits and has a soupçon of ginger and almonds lol 😂
This is something that I saw hiding on the shelf of a local Costco, looked very promising at only $35. Needless to say I went back and grabbed quite a few more after trying it, an incredible value if you can find it for that price. Would be great to see Glenlivet release their 18 in a similar manner as this.
Highly unlikely that they would release 18 in the similar manner. Quite the opposite in fact - they´ve rebranded it from 43% to 40% recently, though you may still find a better strength bottlings out there
$35 is a good value. BOLO.
I have enjoyed the Glenlivet Nadura Sherry cask. Delicious 🤤
Bought this bottle during the summer holidays. Time to open it next now i guess 😃
It's a nice dram and gives you a view how a Glenlivet should be in the future! Give some extra abv, and get some new customers!
I'm surprised how affordable I've found this bottle . I purchased one yesterday for 55 USD. I can't wait to try this one out.
sadly it doesn't say "non chill filtered" on the successor, "The Licensed Dram"
I'm glad you reviewed this because when I saw it on the shelf I said to myself "What is this Illicit Still marketing BS?" I didn't look at it close enough it seems.
Glenlivet still doesn't suit my palate much. I think this one needs some better casking. But it cannot be denied that this is to be commended. It is clearly more flavorful and interesting and I'd love to see other big producers like Glenfiddich follow suit. Could you imagine a 12 or 15 Solera bottling with a 46% or more, non-chill filtered presentation? I'd be all over that.
I will have to taste the illicit still together with this video! At the moment it is neither the time of day nor actually the day in the week on which I drink any alcohol.
I will also compare the illicit still, the licensed dram and the normal 12 year, soon (already ordered 😉)
I just bought this one for about $35USD on the left coast in Costco like the gentleman below. So much richer than the regular and agree that it's a great A/B comparison. Going to get more...! Cheers!
It's been a long time since I've bought a Glenlivet but this is readily available and reasonably priced and Ralfy's review has piqued my interest enough that I'll probably buy one.
Got my like just after he said, “canon you should B ashamed of yourself!” Lol. As a videographer, I’m yelling this daily to both Sony and Canon.
since it´s released a regular on my shelf and affordable quality
Ok I accept that I’m just going to have to buy a packet of raisins and a packet of sultanas 😂
Great review and great content. What do you think about a re-review of Té bheag ? Its widely available in Canada now and I wonder if you notice a change of quality from your 91/100 you gave it a decade ago. Cheers
This was my favorite Glenlivet so far, comparing to 12, 15 and 18. I wish I had bought more bottles before they sold out here.
I do still find 15 yo quite interesting and the 18 good quality, though.
This is a solid effort by Glenlivet. Good point about the feints - Glenlivet is just too clean.
One of the problems with standard expression Glenlivet is that it is basically boring for anyone who had wandered away from the Speyside region.
On the camera, if you can, get one that only has manual focus, or set it to manual only. There'll be a lot more fiddling but you can ensure it's always focusing on what you want it to
I wonder what Ralfy sent Roy.
About the camera. There are different camera lenses with a different minimal distance to object. If it is too close - it can't focus on it. Maybe this is the case?
For example, "Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM " lens has 25cm closest focussing distance.
I can get the standard bottling for $35, so I keep a bottle around. I will look for illicit still.
Any chance of Ralphy/Clive New Year vid this year? Love those videos.
My son gave me a 5 cl bottle :) :) of The Glenlivet Triple Cask Matured " Distiller's Reserve " : i liked it a lot.
...Cheers...
I get a note of castor oil from this on the palate. A wonderfully filthy dram.
Off topic: I just finished reading your books. One of the fringe benefits of pandemics is that it increases the time in which one is allowed to read. Not only are you a good judge of whiskies, you are also a good judge of character. Please continue to write. Spoiler: R.I.P. Weebeeny.
. . . thanks for buying my books, and enjoying them too ! Am now writing a third.
For folks interested in the broader context of why Mr. Smith (the first distiller at Glenlivet, who is mentioned) was carrying pistols: the founding of this distillery was in the midst of the Highland Clearances. This was the last of the enclosures in Great Britain, the stripping from the land of the peasants who had worked those lands of old. (Enclosures had been ongoing for close to four hundred years in Britain at this point.) With one of the best ways to make a bit of cash being distilling whisky (and then selling it under the table), the conversion of this craft to official enterprise, with the associated taxation, wasn't just a matter of a few extra shillings, but a matter of survival for the smallholders. (Folks from America, where I'm from, will probably remember hearing about the Whiskey Rebellion in the 1790s, where western Pennsylvania farmers took up guns to protest the taxation of their whiskey, for very similar reasons - it was their principal source of cash, being one of their only durable products.) Though it seems a bit odd from our point of view, the fact that George Smith's life was really in great danger back in the 1820s for just registering his distillery with the government reflects something important about the time and place he was living in.
. . . thanks for the great comment.
Hello Ralfy. What is the temerature in the old bothie. Thanks for the videos.
I visited the distillery in July and I bottled my own whiskey at Glenlivet. A month later I was told that I had to return the bottle because there was something wrong with it. Could you find out the reason why because they did not tell me. However I received a second bottle free for the inconvenience.
🙏🏻
Ralfy, I’ve guessed your last three reviews! So weird!!!!!! I reckon your next one will be Arran bothy, even if it’s a NAS
Arran Bothy is 9 yo so why not Ralfy?
So what was the bottle you gave in the swap Ralfy?. Very curious to find out
Is Ralfy still releasing his personal choice of whisky of the year. 🤔
I actually found this more similar in profile to Founders Reserve than the standard 12Y.
The founders is really under rated. Great stuff for the price point.
Thanks Ralfy
I'm honestly a little confused over the second version of this that Amazon has called "Licenced Dram". It's apparently a different blend, but same age statement and presentation.
I wish they would drop the coloring. Who cares how dark it is as long as they aren’t lying about how long it was in the barrel. By the way, any chance book\s will be in Kindle format?
Did you try the "Licenced Dram" yet Ralfy? I've got a bottle and I rather like it.
Bought this after Roys discussion on 12 year old malts. Even though it was a Glenlivet I thoroughly enjoyed this dram a lot more than I thought I could . So much so that Im on my third one. 86 is an honest mark for this.
Producers state "non-chill filtered" but Yet they perform barrier filtering which is almost as harsh as chill filtration.
. . . but not as harsh as chill-filtering. Less damage done.
If you compare the standard 12 year old to the "Illicit Still", you might want to add the "Licensed Dram" to the comparison.
Didn't they recently discontinue GL Illicit Still?
If you had asked me five years ago I would never, ever have expected age statements to come back in fashion, nor for non-chill filtration to be more prominent among the mass produced brands. Maybe things arent so bad after all.
Boss can you please make a review of a rùm Made in my country..... rum name Đơn Papa 10 years old ảt 43percent .... i think its good and probably the best because raw materials came from Philippines which is the best
Ralfy. Do you think these distilleries are testing the water with these nearer NCF and age statement whiskies? Like if it flies off the shelf they could produce more thus increasing revenue and profits?
. . . yes.
You’ve spent a decade torching Corporate Multi-nationals for “standard bottling”. They comply to your code of laws and you reward them with 1 point? Are you actually interested in intrinsic taste and smell or simply like sticking it to the man?
I almost bought a bottle a bit ago, but it was $55 on the shelf compared to $35 for the standard 12. Made me pause. Is it worth that kind of premium Ralfy?
Well, found it on sale and took the plunge. And I like it. Nice bitter hazelnut nut at the end. Bourbon barrels come though nicely as well. I like it.
Can't be that illicit if they're selling it on Amazon
Glenlivet 12 is my favorite whisky of all time, all things considered, including availability when you are at a bar.
😂🤣😂how many whiskies more you tried???
Is it true that this release also comes without the packaging box?
. . . well spotted, whisky does not need a box, it needs flavour !
Let me guess.
Ledaig 10 is the first. The second one, hm Laphroaig 10 CS. The last one is surprise , not surprise Longrow. Cheers malt mates.
Ralfy´s latest review of Laphroaig 10 CS is from 2020, seems kinda out of date for being in the top 3 for 2021. Core range expression of Longrow is NAS, so I don’t think it´ll make it through either. Ledaig 10 most likely will, don’t have a clue about the other two malts. Maybe a good old Ardbeg 10
Ralfy - you just got too close to the camera with the bottle !! .... Every camera lens has a minimum focus distance (MFD). Closer than this and the camera will not achieve focus. Check the model of lens you have and look up it's MFD. .... Best regards
What bottle did you give up for this one, Ralf?
. . . something nice !
I absolutely love this stuff. It has such a creamy mouthfeel