Our 200 Year Anniversary: The Highlights

Our 200 Year Anniversary: The Highlights

It was two centuries ago when our founder, George Smith, began illicitly distilling whisky in the Spey Valley. Back then, it was sought after by royalty, but we wonder if George knew that his scotch would still be enjoyed by people around the world today.

2024 marks 200 years since George became the first legal distiller in the parish of Glenlivet and what a year it has been. We’ve celebrated the legacy our founder left and the strides we have made in whisky innovation with exceptional expressions, a string of gold awards and a standout two-day event right here at our distillery.

So, as The Glenlivet’s 200th anniversary year draws to a close, we’re reflecting on all the amazing ways we’ve marked the occasion.

The Glenlivet’s 200th year whisky releases

As pioneers of single malt scotch, we’re always breaking the boundaries of craftsmanship, and we aren’t afraid to have fun with flavours. This creativity led to The Glenlivet’s glassless Capsule Collection in 2019 and Spectra, a selection of three single malts that deliver a fully sensory experience as they come without tasting notes, age or cask information.

We’ve continued to craft extraordinary whiskies and in our 200th year, we’ve released a variety of limited-edition and highly collectable bottles.

Limited Edition 12 Year Old Whisky

The Glenlivet opened up its 200th year celebrations with a bespoke limited anniversary edition 12 year old whisky. This first fill American oak scotch is silky smooth with flavours of juicy pear, sweet orange marmalade and toasted almonds. The bottle and its box feature a design by Studio Berdi, voted on by our global community, which pays homage to The Glenlivet’s journey from past to present and beyond.

The Glenlivet The Twelve Elements

The Glenlivet’s The Twelve Elements is a rare and collectable collection of 50 year old whisky, sold exclusively on The Whisky Exchange Cabinet, a blockchain-enabled marketplace. Each of the 12 bottles represents an essential element of whisky creation, including water, wood, fire and barley, with the bottle artwork designed by AI.

The Glenlivet Caskmakers

Created in collaboration with our cask experts in Speyside, master coopers in Jerez, Spain hand-selected the finest ex-Spanish sherry and freshly charred European oak casks. These were then expertly deconstructed and merged, alternating stave by stave, to craft completely unique casks.

A portion of The Glenlivet Caskmakers has been selectively finished in these casks, resulting in a non-aged statement whisky that delivers notes of ripe orchard fruits, fresh honey, warming spices and hints of charred pineapple.

The Glenlivet Groundbreaker Collection

For the limited edition, non-aged The Glenlivet Groundbreaker Collection, we’re partnering with original artists to celebrate how travel influences artistic craft. The first release, Chapter One: The Journey Inward, has been designed in collaboration with renowned artist Red Hong Yi. The bottle and packaging design are inspired by locations which have impacted her life and the whisky draws on her alias ‘Red’ as a portion of the whisky is selectively finished in double-charred American Oak and European Red Wine casks – a first for The Glenlivet.

The Glenlivet Eternal Collection

This highly collectable collection of limited whiskies features our oldest expression to date, the 55 Year Old. It is the first edition in The Glenlivet Eternal Collection and each release will age for an additional year. Crafted from a seasoned sherry cask and carefully matured over more than half a century, this single malt boasts a complex flavour profile and astonishingly long finish. Only 100 bottles of the ambitious single malt are available and each edition will be accompanied by an original art form designed by a remarkable artist.

The Glenlivet’s 200th anniversary event

In September, The Glenlivet marked its 200th anniversary with an extraordinary two-day event that coincided with the official launch of The Glenlivet Eternal Collection. In the heart of our iconic distillery in Speyside, guests were immersed in a multi-sensory experience, featuring a stunning river-inspired tablescape, prismatic lighting, and decorative displays of heritage whiskies.

Nestled among gleaming copper stills, attendees enjoyed locally sourced cuisine paired with expertly crafted whisky cocktails by Gleneagles’ Emilio Giovanazzi. The event offered an unforgettable blend of artistry, storytelling, and sophistication, celebrating The Glenlivet’s past while toasting our bright future.

The Glenlivet’s 200th year whisky awards

The Glenlivet prides itself on our whisky craftsmanship and has always been dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in every drop. However, having this recognised on a global stage at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) Tasting Awards 2024 has undoubtedly been a stellar cherry on top of our 200th anniversary celebrations. A variety of the Glenlivet scotch whisky expressions were awarded:

The Glenlivet 12 Year Old – ISC 2024 Gold
The Glenlivet 15 Year Old – ISC 2024 Gold
The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve – ISC 2024 Gold
The Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve – ISC 2024 Gold
The Glenlivet Captain’s Reserve – ISC 2024 Gold
The Glenlivet Caskmaker’s Single Malt Whisky – ISC 2024 Gold
The Glenlivet 15 Year Old Sherry Cask Matured – ISC 2024 Gold
The Glenlivet 21Year Old – ISC 2024 Gold

We must also give a special mention to The Glenlivet 13 Sherry Cask Matured which was awarded a Double Gold at the ISC Tasting Awards. As well as The Glenlivet 25 Year Old which not only received a Gold Trophy at the ISC 2024 but was also awarded Gold at the International Wine and Spirit Competition 2024, securing 95 points in the tasting results.

The Glenlivet Distillery 200th year highlights

If the releases, awards and an anniversary event weren’t enough, other exciting things have happened at The Glenlivet Distillery this year, further cementing 2024 as a significant celebratory milestone.

We launched three exclusive 200-year distillery tours: 2024 The Original, The Visionary and The Reflection. These allow our visitors to walk in our founder’s footsteps, revel in our rich history, peek behind the door of our still house and sample The Glenlivet expressions.

Further, the distillery won both ‘Europe’s Leading Distillery Tour’ and ‘Scotland’s Leading Whisky Distillery Tour’ at The World Travel Awards 2024.

The Glenlivet has also partnered with renowned auctioneers, Sotheby’s, to bring exclusive, aged, one-off expressions to auction. Our inaugural lot, the 55 Year Old, which is the only of its kind, sold for £63,000 in early November, with proceeds of £42,000 going to The National Trust for Scotland.

If we look at this year in summation, we don’t think there is a more fitting tribute to our 200 years of history. The Glenlivet is doing what it has always done – making outstanding whisky – but constantly remoulding this heritage craft through innovative ideas, new technologies and captivating flavours. We can’t wait for what’s yet to come and we hope that you’ll join us.

In the meantime, you can find out more about our story while relishing The Glenlivet in delicious whisky cocktails.

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