Is Glenfiddich 12 better than The Glenlivet 12?

Yes, though neither is a standout. Glenfiddich 12 scores 3.6 against The Glenlivet 12's 3.2: it has clearer fruit and a creamier body, and it's better on the rocks. The Glenlivet is the sweeter of the two and equally good as a highball.

Which is sweeter, Glenfiddich 12 or The Glenlivet 12?

The Glenlivet 12 — Sweetness 4 out of 5 against Glenfiddich's 3, with vanilla, honey, malt and green apple.

Which is fruitier, Glenfiddich 12 or The Glenlivet 12?

Glenfiddich 12 — Fruit 4 out of 5 against 3. Kaz finds pear and citrus in Glenfiddich, and green apple and citrus in The Glenlivet.

Which is better neat, Glenfiddich 12 or The Glenlivet 12?

Glenfiddich 12. It's creamier and fruitier, with only a faint alcohol note. Neat, The Glenlivet shows a slight alcohol sting and lacks depth.

Which makes a better highball, Glenfiddich 12 or The Glenlivet 12?

Both are rated Excellent as a highball. Glenfiddich keeps all its flavor and drinks cleanly; The Glenlivet is refreshing, with its fruit standing out.

Are Glenfiddich 12 and The Glenlivet 12 similar?

They're both balanced, easy 12-year-old Speyside single malts with no smoke, but not interchangeable. Glenfiddich is fruitier and creamier; The Glenlivet is sweeter, lighter and more malt-led.

Glenfiddich 12 vs The Glenlivet 12: Which Should You Buy?

05/10/2026

Glenfiddich 12 and The Glenlivet 12 are both 12-year-old Speyside single malts aimed at easy drinking, so they often end up on the same shortlist for anyone choosing an approachable Scotch. Being the same age from the same region doesn’t make them interchangeable, though. Kaz has tasted both first-hand, and this comparison uses the same notes, scores and serve ratings as each bottle’s own Dram Verdict review — not brand reputation, sales or awards.

Contents

Quick Verdict

Choose Glenfiddich 12 if you want the better whisky: it scores 3.6 against The Glenlivet’s 3.2, with clearer fruit (pear and citrus over honey and vanilla), a creamier, fuller texture and only a faint alcohol note neat, and it’s the better of the two on the rocks. Choose The Glenlivet 12 if you want the sweeter, lighter, more malt-led style with almost no spice, and you’ll mostly drink it as a highball, where it’s every bit as good. Neither is a standout — both reviews find their character fairly average — but Glenfiddich is the more satisfying neat.

Quick Comparison

	Glenfiddich 12	The Glenlivet 12
Age	Tie (12 years)
ABV	40%	40% (bottling reviewed; 43% and 48% in some markets)
Type	Tie (Speyside single malt Scotch)
Casks	Oloroso sherry and bourbon, then oak marrying tuns	A variety of oak casks
Character	Fruity, Creamy, Balanced	Sweet, Malty, Balanced
Sweetness	3 / 5	4 / 5
Fruit	4 / 5	3 / 5
Spice	2 / 5	1 / 5
Oak	Tie (2 / 5)
Smoke / Peat	Tie (0 / 5)
Body	3 / 5	2 / 5
With water	Tie (Good)
On the rocks	Good	Fair
Highball	Tie (Excellent)
Dram Verdict score	3.6	3.2

Same age, same oak, no smoke, and both rated Balanced. The Glenlivet is the sweeter one; Glenfiddich is fruitier, a little spicier and fuller-bodied.

The Biggest Difference: Fruit and Texture vs Sweetness and Malt

Both are easy, balanced Speyside malts, but they lead with different things. Glenfiddich 12 is fruit-led: pear and citrus over honey and vanilla, on a creamy palate that’s easy to drink without ever feeling thin. The Glenlivet 12 is sweetness-led: vanilla, honey, malt and green apple, with strong sweetness on the palate, a lighter body (Body 2 against Glenfiddich’s 3) and the lowest spice of the two (Spice 1 against 2). Kaz also notes that the current Glenlivet bottle is flatter and more malt-forward than older, fruitier releases.

How they’re made is described quite differently. Glenfiddich says its 12 is matured for 12 years in Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks before mellowing in oak marrying tuns. The Glenlivet’s owner, Pernod Ricard, says only that the 12 is aged in a variety of oak casks. Those are production facts, not tasting notes — the differences in the glass described here come from Kaz’s tasting, not from the cask list.

Nose

Glenfiddich 12 is sweet, fruity and light on the nose — honey, pear and citrus, with a hint of dried fruit and nuts. The Glenlivet 12 shows a little alcohol but is sweet and floral, with vanilla, green apple, nuts and floral notes. Glenfiddich’s nose is the fruitier; The Glenlivet’s is more floral, with a little alcohol showing.

Palate

Glenfiddich 12 is creamy, gentle and easy to drink, with vanilla, pear, floral notes, malt and spice. The Glenlivet 12 has a touch of alcohol and strong sweetness, with malt, vanilla, honey, green apple and citrus. Both share vanilla and malt; Glenfiddich is the creamier, Glenlivet the sweeter.

Finish

Glenfiddich 12 finishes with fruitiness, oak and spice at moderate length. The Glenlivet 12 finishes with malty toastiness, fruit, spice and oak, lingering softly. Neither finish is long; Glenfiddich’s is more fruit-led, The Glenlivet’s more malty.

Which Is Sweeter?

The Glenlivet 12 — Sweetness 4 out of 5 against Glenfiddich’s 3. Kaz finds it clearly sweet, with vanilla, honey, malt and green apple, and strong sweetness on the palate. Glenfiddich is sweet too, with honey and vanilla, but its fruit leads more than its sweetness.

Flavor Profile Differences

Fruit: Glenfiddich wins, 4 out of 5 against 3. Its fruit is pear and citrus, with a hint of dried fruit on the nose; The Glenlivet’s is green apple and citrus.

Spice: Glenfiddich wins, 2 against 1. Spice shows on its palate and finish; in The Glenlivet it appears only lightly, in the finish.

Oak: a tie at 2. Both pick up a little oak in the finish.

Smoke / Peat: a tie at 0. Kaz found no smoke or peat in either.

Body: Glenfiddich wins, 3 against 2. Its palate is creamy and never feels thin; The Glenlivet is the lighter of the two.

Which Is Better Neat?

Glenfiddich 12. Dram Verdict scores are judged neat and reflect only what’s in the glass — not brand reputation, price or whether a retailer link exists. Both are balanced and easy to drink neat, and both share the same basic limit: Kaz finds little individuality in either. The difference is in how much they give you. Glenfiddich scores 3.6 for clear pear and citrus fruit over honey and vanilla, and a creamy texture that never feels thin; its complexity is modest, the finish only moderate, and a faint alcohol note shows. The Glenlivet scores 3.2: very well balanced and clearly sweet, with nothing harsh or flawed, but it has no real depth, a slight alcohol sting shows on both the nose and palate, and Kaz finds it a little uninteresting neat. Being easy to drink isn’t the same as being the better whiskey — Glenfiddich simply has more substance in the glass. The 0.4 gap is real, but neither is a whisky Kaz would call distinctive.

Which Is Better With Water?

A tie — both are rated Good with water. Glenfiddich’s fruitiness increases at a full 1:1, though a smaller splash works better. With water The Glenlivet’s alcohol softens, while its sweetness and fruit come through more clearly.

Which Is Better On the Rocks?

Glenfiddich 12 — rated Good on the rocks against The Glenlivet’s Fair. Over ice, Glenfiddich’s fresher notes come forward, but bitterness and oak build too, so it’s likely to divide opinion. The Glenlivet’s sweetness tightens and oak and bitterness appear; it may suit people who prefer a sharper style, but it left little impression on Kaz.

Which Makes the Better Highball?

A tie — both are rated Excellent, and the highball is where both shine. Glenfiddich keeps every part of its flavor, well balanced and clean-drinking. The Glenlivet is very well balanced, with its fruit standing out — refreshing, clean and easy to recommend. Pick either; the choice comes down to whether you prefer Glenfiddich’s fruit or The Glenlivet’s sweeter, lighter style.

Value

Neither review rates value yet, so this comparison doesn’t name a value winner. Prices change by market and over time, and price plays no part in either score — the 3.6 and 3.2 reflect what’s in the glass only. Each review page lists current retailer options if you want to compare prices where you live.

Glenfiddich 12 vs The Glenlivet 12: Which Should You Buy?

Buy Glenfiddich 12 if you want a fruit-led single malt — pear and citrus over honey and vanilla; you prefer a creamier texture that doesn’t feel thin; or you want a bottle that works neat as well as in a highball. It’s less suited to anyone after a bold or deeply complex whisky.

Buy The Glenlivet 12 if you want a sweeter, lighter, malt-led single malt with vanilla, honey and green apple; you’d rather have almost no spice; or you’ll mostly drink it as a highball, where it’s excellent. It’s less suited to drinkers looking for depth or a distinctive neat pour, or who like their whisky on the rocks.

Overall: Glenfiddich 12 is the better bottle. It scores 3.6 against The Glenlivet’s 3.2, it’s the more satisfying neat thanks to its clearer fruit and creamier body, and it’s the better of the two on the rocks. The Glenlivet 12 is the better choice if you prefer more sweetness and a lighter, malt-led style, or if a highball is how you’ll drink it — there, the two are equally good. Browse the Single Malt archive for more first-hand reviews.

Is Glenfiddich 12 better than The Glenlivet 12?: Yes, though neither is a standout. Glenfiddich 12 scores 3.6 against The Glenlivet 12’s 3.2: it has clearer fruit and a creamier body, and it’s better on the rocks. The Glenlivet is the sweeter of the two and equally good as a highball.
Which is sweeter, Glenfiddich 12 or The Glenlivet 12?: The Glenlivet 12 — Sweetness 4 out of 5 against Glenfiddich’s 3, with vanilla, honey, malt and green apple.
Which is fruitier, Glenfiddich 12 or The Glenlivet 12?: Glenfiddich 12 — Fruit 4 out of 5 against 3. Kaz finds pear and citrus in Glenfiddich, and green apple and citrus in The Glenlivet.
Which is better neat, Glenfiddich 12 or The Glenlivet 12?: Glenfiddich 12. It’s creamier and fruitier, with only a faint alcohol note. Neat, The Glenlivet shows a slight alcohol sting and lacks depth.
Which makes a better highball, Glenfiddich 12 or The Glenlivet 12?: Both are rated Excellent as a highball. Glenfiddich keeps all its flavor and drinks cleanly; The Glenlivet is refreshing, with its fruit standing out.
Are Glenfiddich 12 and The Glenlivet 12 similar?: They’re both balanced, easy 12-year-old Speyside single malts with no smoke, but not interchangeable. Glenfiddich is fruitier and creamier; The Glenlivet is sweeter, lighter and more malt-led.