Glenlivet Distillery — Speyside Single Malt Whisky

The Glenlivet Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery located near Ballindalloch, on the Livet Glen in Speyside, Scotland. It was founded in 1824 and is currently owned by Chivas Brothers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. It holds the distinction of being the first legally licensed distillery in the Scottish Highlands, and The Glenlivet is today the best-selling single malt in the United States and the second best-selling single malt worldwide.

History

The Glenlivet was founded in 1824 by George Smith, a farmer who had previously distilled illicitly in the glen. Following the Excise Act of 1823, which legalised whisky production and imposed licensing duties, Smith became the first person in the Highlands to take out a legal distilling licence, at his farm at Upper Drumin. The move was unpopular with fellow illicit distillers, and Smith is said to have carried a pair of pistols, given to him by a local laird, for his own protection. After a fire destroyed the original site, the distillery was rebuilt in 1859 at Minmore, where it still stands today.

George Smith's whisky quickly gained a reputation for exceptional quality, and by the mid-19th century the name "Glenlivet" had become so sought after that dozens of neighbouring distilleries began appending it to their own names to trade on its fame. Following George's death in 1871, his son John Gordon Smith took legal action against rival producers, and an 1880s court ruling granted the distillery exclusive rights to the unhyphenated name "The Glenlivet," while competitors were permitted only to use it as a hyphenated suffix (for example, "Glen Moray-Glenlivet"). The distillery remained in Smith family hands for generations before passing through Seagram (from 1977) to Pernod Ricard, which acquired the brand as part of the Seagram spirits breakup in 2001. It is now run under Pernod Ricard's Chivas Brothers division. Major expansions in 2010, 2018 and 2024 have made Glenlivet one of the largest malt whisky distilleries in Scotland, with a new stillhouse completed in 2024 doubling capacity to 28 stills.

Quick Facts

• Region: Speyside
• Founded: 1824
• Owner: Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard)
• Status: Active
• Stills: 28 (14 wash, 14 spirit)

Core Range

The Glenlivet's core range is built around age-statement single malts matured predominantly in American oak, known for a light, floral, fruity house style. Key expressions include The Glenlivet 12 Year Old (40% ABV), Founder's Reserve (40% ABV), 15 Year Old (French Oak Reserve, 40% ABV), 18 Year Old (40% ABV), 21 Year Old (Archive, 43% ABV), and 25 Year Old (43% ABV), alongside various cask-finished and limited-edition Distillery Reserve Collection bottlings.