The Glenlivet Adds a 40-Year-Old Scotch to Its Permanent Lineup

The Glenlivet has been crafting noteworthy malt for upwards of 200 years. And along the way the Speyside distillery has collected countless accolades and amassed a U.S. following greater than any other Scotch brand ever. Yet, in all this time, it has never unveiled a permanent expression as mature as the one hitting shelves this month. The Glenlivet 40 Year Old is a 93.8-proof cask-strength bottling, presented with a hefty price tag of $6,000.

But before whisky aficionados can begin savoring this decades-in-the-makind expression, they’ll first have to figure out how to fetch the decanter from its puzzle box-like enclosure. The whisky requires a bit of ingenuity to open — simultaneously pushing and twisting the top releases the decanter from its innovative housing.

Once poured and allowed to rise to room temperature, the 40-year-old Scotch reveals its complex character through a multitude of aromas and flavors. “On the nose, we are met with rich and fruity aromas, with notes of homemade strawberry jam and raisins. Luscious dark cherries are complemented by cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of sweet, toasted oak,” The Glenlivet cask master Kevin Balmforth told Food & Wine via email. “On the palate, the whisky offers sweet layers of poached plums and charred orange that progress to yet deeper notes of dark chocolate, braised red apples, and sweet licorice. Finally, the whisky has a long, sweet, and rich finish with a warming spice. Overall, for me, The Glenlivet 40 is incredibly rich and fruity, with distinct warming spice notes of cinnamon and raisins.”

To conjure these complexities, Balmforth seasoned European oak barrels with a bespoke blend of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherries. He then used those vessels to apply a two-year finish atop a robust vatting of malts that had already spent several decades maturing in the distillery’s historic dunnage warehouses.

The whisky stored here, in fact, represents a legacy that helped define an entire subcategory of Scotch. Before Speyside was known for its own distinct style, distilleries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries would instead use the suffix “-Glenlivet” as shorthand for the rich and fruity style of Scotch we associate with it today.

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“We’re constantly experimenting with new flavor profiles, and we knew that the impact of a sherry-matured cask would bring a rewarding finish to the right expression. So, when the opportunity to craft the oldest permanent addition to the range released from The Glenlivet distillery to date, I knew it was the perfect moment to craft something really special,” Balmorth says. “This permanent new expression was carefully finished in custom casks from the heart of Jerez in Spain. These were seasoned with a bespoke blend of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherries, ensuring they would harmonize perfectly with the depth and maturity of this Single Malt whisky, elevating it to a masterpiece worthy of its age.”

Fast Facts: Glenlivet 40

ABV: 46.9%
Maturation: The expression was matured in European and American oak barrels before they were finished for two years in European oak barrels seasoned with a bespoke blend of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry
Allocation: 1,459 bottles globally, with 280 allocated for U.S. consumers
Retail Availability: Interested collectors can register here to be contacted by the Glenlivet sales team
MSRP: $6,000

Despite its extended interaction with the famed fortified wines of Spain, Glenlivet 40 is hardly a sherry bomb. Instead, it offers a balanced presentation of sweetness and spice that’s not dominated by dark fruit notes. And Balmforth modestly attributes this enviable result to the steady hands of those cask masters who predated him. 

“We knew we had an incredible batch of The Glenlivet casks we had been safeguarding for many years, it was a case of waiting for the right time,” says Balmforth. “After carefully monitoring the journey of the whisky, we made the decision to release this as a 40 Year Old. This year is the perfect time to release a true testament to The Glenlivet’s pioneering legacy following the brand’s 200th anniversary last year.”

“It represents more than four decades of dedication and craftsmanship from our team,” he says of the new release. “It’s thanks to the efforts and foresight of my predecessors who laid down the foundation of this whisky 40 years ago that we’re able to showcase the trailblazing spirit of The Glenlivet with the introduction of such a special and highly-aged permanent expression during such a monumental year.”

The monumental year he refers to is actually 2024 — the brand’s 200th anniversary. The 40 Year marks the official finale of its bicentennial. To commemorate the occasion last September, The Glenlivet introduced its oldest liquid ever, a 55-year-old single-cask, limited-edition expression that exists as part of its “Eternal Collection” of one-offs. That one was undeniably a sherry bomb, exploding on the scene at a whopping $55,000 per bottle. So maybe you’ll choose to see its 40-year-old younger sibling as something of a bargain.

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