Tasting Notes Colour: Light, Golden Nose: Perfectly balanced fruity aroma with delicate floral fragrance and vanilla/honey sweetness Taste: Classically Speyside, a soft smooth balance of sweet summer fruits and the floral fragrance of spring flowers. Finish: Lingering and gentle

Wine Review Making pure, single malt to this degree of perfection demands the highest level of expertise, professionalism and finesse - but still relies on the nose and palate of the Master Distiller.

Next the liquid is cooled down and yeast is added and fermentation occours in traditional Oregon Pine washbacks, chosen to impart even more flavour into the whisky.

The beer-like liquid is then distilled twice in separate copper pot stills. These unique stills are tall and slender, and create an elegant and complex spirit. Only the finest spirit from the second distillation is considered good enough to put in barrels for maturation.

The Glenlivet is then poured into casks made of white oak - many of which are imported from bourbon distillers or Spanish sherry makers - which contributes a unique character to the raw spirit. The wood slowly gives The Glenlivet its famous amber tint, and over the years the wood and the whisky breathe in the clean, fresh Highland air and add to the complex flavours.

After 8 to 10 years, interesting characteristics develop, and this is the time when many lesser malts are deemed fit for bottling. But not The Glenlivet. Only after at least 12 years in the cask, when the rich balance of flavours have been created, is The Glenlivet seen fit to be sent out into the world to be enjoyed.

Technical Notes George Smith knew that Glenlivet was the perfect location in which to make whisky, which is why he built his distillery there in 1824. But it required all his skills as a distiller and his unrivalled knowledge of the glen and its resources to succeed. The Glenlivet of today is George Smith's priceless legacy. Crucially, the three fundamental elements in the whisky-making process - spring water, copper stills and oak casks have remained unchanged. So have the skills have the people who make it. That is why the Glenlivet is as incomparable now as it was at the beginning.

Additional Notes Over the years, The Glenlivet range of whiskies has consistently won awards for its finesse, complexity and superb balance. The Glenlivet, acknowledged as The single malt that started it all due to its defining role in the creation of the Speyside style whisky is still leading the way. All The Glenlivet expressions have won awards this year, most of them winning Gold or Master Medals. This is a testament to the outstanding quality of the whisky and a tribute to the skill of our whisky makers who ensure that the quality is maintained year in year out.