MENU
  1. Home
  2. Reviews
  3. Scotch Whisky
  4. Single Malt
  5. The Glenlivet 12 Year Review
Single Malt

The Glenlivet 12 Year Review

Reviewed by Kaz · 24/09/2026

The Glenlivet 12 Year Old bottle

The Verdict

3.2/ 5

Rated 3.2 out of 5 Decent

Sweet Malty Balanced

Best for

Newcomers looking for a sweet, easy, balanced first single malt, and highball drinkers. Less suited to anyone after depth or a distinctive personality in a neat pour.

Quick Verdict

The Glenlivet 12 Year Old is a sweet, very well-balanced single malt with vanilla, honey, malt and green apple, and it's easy for anyone to drink. The current bottle is more malt-forward and flatter than older, fruitier bottlings, though: a touch of alcohol shows on the nose and palate, there's no real depth, and it's a little uninteresting neat.

Tasted Aug 2025 · Neat

Where to Buy

United Kingdom

We may earn a commission if you buy through our links. This never affects our scores.

Bottle Information

The Glenlivet 12 Year Old is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky from The Glenlivet, which is operated by Chivas Brothers, part of Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard says The Glenlivet has been made in the Scottish Highlands since 1824, and that the 12 Year Old is aged in a variety of oak casks. It's sold at different strengths depending on the market — Pernod Ricard lists 40%, 43% and 48% versions — and the bottle reviewed here is the 700ml, 40% ABV version.

Whisky Specs

Country
Scotland
Region
Speyside
Distillery
The Glenlivet
Brand
The Glenlivet
Category
Single Malt
Age
12
ABV
40% ABV
Cask
A variety of oak casks
Volume
700ml

Tasting Review

The Glenlivet 12 is about as standard a single malt as they come, and on this recent re-tasting of the current bottle it’s very well balanced and easy for anyone to drink. It’s clearly sweet, with vanilla, honey, malt and green apple, and a soft finish of malty toastiness, fruit and spice. Compared with the older, fruitier bottlings, though, the current release is more malt-forward and flatter. There’s a touch of alcohol on the nose and palate, it lacks real depth, and nothing about it stands out — neat, I found it a little uninteresting, even if there’s nothing wrong with it.

It’s still a sensible first single malt, and it shines as a highball. It used to be good value in Japan, but after recent price rises I’d call the cost-performance average. My Glenfiddich 12 Year review covers another entry-level 12-year-old single malt, one with a creamy, fruit-led profile. For more, browse our Single Malt reviews.

Tasting Notes

Nose
A little alcohol, but sweet and floral. Vanilla, green apple, nuts and floral notes.
Palate
A touch of alcohol with strong sweetness. Malt, vanilla, honey, green apple and citrus.
Finish
Malty toastiness, fruit, spice and oak, lingering softly.

Flavor Profile

  • Sweetness 4 / 5
  • Fruit 3 / 5
  • Spice 1 / 5
  • Oak 2 / 5
  • Smoke / Peat 0 / 5
  • Body 2 / 5

Pros

  • Very well balanced and easy for anyone to drink.
  • Clearly sweet, with vanilla, honey, malt and green apple.

Cons

  • No real depth — the current bottle feels flatter than older, fruitier releases.
  • Weak individuality; a little uninteresting neat.
  • A slight alcohol sting on the nose and palate.

Final Verdict

The Glenlivet 12 Year Old is well made and very well balanced, but it doesn't give you much to think about. Neat, the nose is sweet and floral with a little alcohol — vanilla, green apple, nuts — and the palate is clearly sweet, with malt, vanilla, honey, green apple and citrus over a touch of alcohol, before a soft finish of malty toastiness, fruit, spice and oak. Nothing here is harsh or flawed. The limits are depth and character: the current bottle is flatter and more malt-forward than older, fruitier releases, the individuality is weak, and a slight alcohol sting keeps showing. Judged purely on the liquid, it's a dependable, easy single malt rather than an interesting one.

Other Ways to Drink It

Dram Verdict's core Nose, Palate, Finish and Score above are tasted neat. These are Kaz's notes on other ways he's actually tried this bottle.

  • With Water

    Good

    The alcohol softens, while the sweetness and fruit come through more clearly.

  • On the Rocks

    Fair

    The sweetness tightens and oak and bitterness appear. It may suit people who prefer a sharper style, but it left little impression on me.

  • Highball

    Excellent

    Very well balanced, with the fruit standing out — refreshing, clean and easy to recommend.

Where to Buy

United Kingdom

We may earn a commission if you buy through our links. This never affects our scores.

Related Comparisons & Guides

About the author

Kaz Bartender & Whisky Reviewer

Kaz is a chief bartender in Japan, with eight years behind the bar and six years reviewing whisky on Whisktender, his Japanese-language whisky site. Every Dram Verdict score and every personal tasting note comes from a whisky he has tasted himself, with one question always in mind: is this bottle worth buying?

Contents