The Glenlivet Scotch that is old soul in a new bottle

While discerning Scotch drinkers have been divided over it, Glenlivet's newest whiskey offers a medley of different flavours

Fire, fire, fire!” As Vikram Seth recites his libretto to a wildly enthusiastic audience inside the Ballroom at New Delhi’s Oberoi Hotel, I take a sip from my fluted glass of Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve whiskey — in which I add a liberal amount of ice and a little water — and make a face. The drink is raw and harsh on my pallet. It does not seem worth the fuss of organising this great evening to introduce it. I slip away from my table after Seth’s performance and when I come back, there is another glass of pure whiskey in front of me. This one is great, the same golden colour as the first but bolder. It is sweet, with hints of orange and other citrus fruits. There’s also a dash of toffee and vanilla for a creamy caramel finish. It is a young whiskey but makes for a great conclusion to the evening.

Seth comes back to the table and the wonderfully dramatic International Brand Ambassador for Glenlivet, Alex Robertson, joins us. He looks surprised to hear my comments. The second glass in front of me also contains Founder’s Reserve. Could a whiskey taste so different if I change the proportion of ice and water? Evidently!

Glenlivet lovers around the world (and there are a lot of them, which makes it the second-largest selling single malt in the world) have been divided since the Founder’s Reserve was introduced at the end of 2014. A large part of the divide has been over Glenlivet using new casks to store this whiskey. Traditionally, second- hand oak casks have been used to store scotch. While this tradition was,  for the large part, to save costs —Glenlivet alone buys seven million casks every year — it allowed the flavour of matured oak to permeate the whiskey, along with the flavours of French sherry, bourbon and Tennessee whiskey that was previously stored in the same cask.

But the Founder’s Reserve is stored in First Fill American oak casks so that it retains a balance with the citrusy top note. This means that there’s no age statement on the bottles or the beautiful blue cartons. The makers of Glenlivet say that this harks back to the original bottles of Glenlivet made by George Smith, because it allows the master distiller to draw from different aged casks. This enables them to recreate the original whiskey made in the lantern-shaped stills in Smith’s original moonshine distillery. Some drinkers — and scotch drinkers can be a discerning crowd — feel that this takes away from the character and flavour of a mature whiskey. They also question whether it is value for money when you don’t know the age.

So, how does the Founder’s Reserve stand up against Glenlivet’s 12-, 15- and 18-year-old single malts? Everyone around the table has different views on this. A gentleman on my side loves the 18-year-old. In my opinion, the 18-year-old has the strongest aftertaste, even if it finishes smoothly.  Robertson swears by the 15-year-old Scotch, with its French oak reserves that had been used to store cognac. The 12-year-old is like a Grande Dame — smooth and mellow, with its honey, oak, vanilla, pineapple and floral tones. The Founder’s Reserve, however, is young but sweet and fruity. Its finish is definitely not mellow, but the aftertaste hints at candy, toffee and bold citrus fruits — until I add ice, when it turns less sweet almost immediately. The Founder’s Reserve is going to replace the 12-year-old in some markets including the UK, but not in India, which is the largest market in the world for Glenlivet. This means that one will be able to continue drinking both. This is great because they’re very different experiences that will appeal to entirely different audiences. The Founder’s Reserve is a bold drink and I’d love a glass or two, but the 12- and 15-year-olds can take me through the evening.

The distinctive Wedgewood blue bottles of the Founder’s Reserve will be available in Delhi and Haryana for Rs 4,750 and in Mumbai and Bengaluru for Rs 6,800. It will also be available at duty-free stores in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru at $48 (Rs 3,200 approximately) for a litre.