Comprehensive website giving details of the history of the distillery and whiskies. You can also join The Guardians of The Glenlivet for special offers, news, access to the Guardians' Library at the Distillery; extra drams at the distillery or whisky shows etc
VisitingGlenlivet has a coffee shop, an exhibition, and a whisky and gift shop and is open every day between March and November, from 09.30 and 18.00. See website for exact dates.
The Classic tour runs every 30 minutes between - 10.00 to 16.30 and costs £10. Definitive Spirit - £65 - in-depth tour, new make and a "selection from our range of other whiskies". The Drams of Distinction costs £40 - "a selection of rare whiskies , selectively paired with delicious food." The last two tours must be pre-booked - check website for timings. All tours can be booked online. No photography allowed in the production areas. Vital Stats
In 1822, before most distilleries were licensed, King George IV was so impressed by some illegal Glenlivet that had been provided for him that he is reputed to have asked for it by name. Whether or not this story is true, the government decided to reduce the cost of a license in 1823 to incentivise distilleries to become legal. George Smith was one of some 200 illegal distillers in the area, who became the first to get licensed - not particularly popular with his fellow distillers - so he carried a pair of pistols with him night and day! George's father had been distilling since around 1774 at Upper Drummin farm. George bought and leased other farms including Minmore.
The distillery buildings at Upper Drummin were destroyed by fire in 1858, but George had already started building a new distillery at Minmore - it was renamed The Glenlivet. Glenlivet gained such a reputation that many distilleries added Glenlivet to their name - much to the annoyance of the Smith family, who took legal action which resulted in them being called The Glenlivet, though other distilleries could still affix '-Glenlivet' to their name. So Glenlivet became known as the longest glen in Scotland - even Edradour, under a previous name, styled itself Glenforres-Glenlivet. Ironically, until Tamnavulin was built in 1966, The Glenlivet was the only distillery in Glenlivet. The distillery remained in the Smith family until sold to Seagram (who owned Chivas) in 1978, though they had merged with Glen Grant (1953) and Longmorn (1970) along the way. Malt Madness, Wikipedia, WhiskyMerchants.co.uk scotchwhisky.com Undiscovered Scotland Maps: 1869/1902 1869/2017 1902/2017 |
Getting ThereClick the Google logo on the above map to access Street View, Directions etc.
Open Cycle Map Bing Map Braeval Cragganmore Tamnavulin Tomintoul Distilleries Speyside Distilleries Avon/Fiddich/Livet Nearest National Rail stations are: Elgin (ELG) (33 miles), Forres (FOR) (27 miles), Carrbridge (CAG) (29) Keith (KEH) (24) or Aviemore (AVM) (32) Live train times: ELG ,FOR,CAG, KEH, AVM. The preserved Strathspey railway runs to and Broomhill (22) - 3 trips a day, most days in Summer. The preserved Keith & Dufftown railway runs up to 3 trips a day at weekends in summer, some Fridays too & during Speyside Festivals to Dufftown Station (14). The Glenlivet is 5 miles from Bridge of Avon, near Ballindalloch on the A95 - follow the B9008 to Bridge of Livet, right on to the B9136, cross the bridge then left to the distillery, 13 miles from Dufftown via B9009/B9008 to Bridge of Livet. RangeGlenlivet's Classic Range is NAS Founder's Reserve (40%); 12yo (40%); 15yo French Oak Reserve (40%); 18yo (43%).
The Prestige Range is 21yo Archive (43%); 25yo XXV (43%) and the 50yo Winchester Collection (48.9%). The unchillfiltered Nadurra (Gaelic for natural) Range at around 60% - released in batches which vary slightly in strength. There are quite a number of independent bottlings of Glenlivet, Gordon & MacPhail release a number of different ages under the George & JG Smith's Glenlivet name - currently including a 1949 vintage. G&M have also bottled a 70yo Glenlivet (45.9%, distilled 1940) - one of the oldest whiskies ever bottled commercially. As you will see from its number, Glenlivet was the second distillery that the SMWS ever bottled, and they are still doing so. RMW TWE MoM CyclingNearest Bike shops Slochd (32 miles), Grantown (18), Elgin (27), Forres (27) Aviemore (32)
Ian Bishop Bikes Railway Cottages, Slochd, Carrbridge 01479 841666 Base Camp Bikes 5 The Square, Grantown 01479 870050 Bikes and Bowls 7 High Street, Elgin 01343 549656 Halfords Lossie Wynd N, Elgin 01343 552030 Stuarts Cycles & Sports Goods 32 High Street, Forres 01309 672432 The Bike Bothy 105 High Street 01309 671745 Mikes Bikes 5a Myrtlefield, Aviemore 01479 810478 Bothy Bikes 5 Granish Way, Dalfaber, Aviemore 01479 810111 Charlie Millett Dufftown 01340 820991 Not a shop - has a page on the Dufftown.net website - provides repairs and spares - assisted Whisky Cyclist in 2014 when stranded in Craigellachie with a damaged tyre and in 2017 with a broken pedal. |
Glenlivet Open Day in 2007 - Demonstrating a Sma' Still - as used extensively in the Glen in the days of illicit distillation.
Photos on this page were taken by me. Click on photo to enlarge. Full size versions of all my photos of The Glenlivet Distillery are available on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/martynjenkins/sets/72157627557385714/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/martynjenkins/sets/72157627557385714/