Country Scotch Whisky
Distillery/Brand The Glenlivet
Style Single Malt Whisky

The Glenlivet Archive 21

A Gold Medal Winner at the 2005, 2006 and 2007 International Wine & Spirit Competition, the 2002 International Spirits Challenge and a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. This is a well-regarded 21 year old from Glenlivet.

This bottle was part of a private collection - if you'd like more detailed photos just get in touch!

Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt

The nose is quite full and rich. There are notes of sandalwood and pine with a resinous note. Potpourri creeps in with barley sugar and cereal notes with acacia honey. The palate is rich and full. There are notes of oily walnuts and winter fruitcake with spice and sugar. There is a golden syrup note. The finish is long and sweet with a soft, chewy oak.

Winner of 4 spirit awards

Gold Outstanding
Gold Outstanding
Scotch Single Malt - Speyside - 2013
International Wine & Spirit Competition
Gold
Gold
Speyside Single Malt 19-25yo - 2013
The Scotch Whisky Masters (The Spirits Business)
Silver Outstanding
Silver Outstanding
Scotch Single Malt - Speyside - 2017
International Wine & Spirit Competition
Silver
Silver
Speyside Single Malt 19-25yo - 2014
The Scotch Whisky Masters (The Spirits Business)

Allergy information

This product does not contain any notifiable allergens
More allergen information



Reviews for The Glenlivet Archive 21 Year Old
Its set the bar for me .
My first taste of this bottle was in 2014. It's by far the best I've had. I'm not good at describing it with fancy words like winter fruit cake and oily wallnut but I know if i close my eyes and think back to the that 1st taste I still get those same feelings of "liquid ecstasy". mmmmm so good.
Jessie , Australia
2 years ago
But it if you see it for $200
I have tasted many single malt whiskies, the Glenlivet 21 Archive is one of the best I've sipped in my life... I have been lucky enough to sip thru 2 bottles of Bunnahabhain 25, when it could be had for $200 or so... both of these bottles are clearly a cut above the rest, reserved for special occasions.
Edward D DeNike I , United States
2 years ago
Good
Good stuff
Master of Malt Customer
3 years ago
Not worth the money
I agree with the more neg reviews it is not as complex as I thought it would be...I bought this after trying the livet 18.....the 18 is incredible... I am disappointed I paid double the price for half the value it is very one dimensional....will not buy again...there are better scotches for a quarter of the price ..I've been sipping and trying my best to appreciate it but it's the same old one dimensional experience that was wayyyy overpriced
Master of Malt Customer
4 years ago
A truly balanced whiskey worth every penny and more....
A Thick and smooth texture with a taste of apples and sultanas, a truly balanced whiskey with a touch of crème.
John E , Cyprus
5 years ago
Damn good scotch. Buy it.
Master of malts need to get a grip. This is quite possibly one of the best scotches i have tried. The peat finish is incredible. After taking one taste you are sent into the hills of where it was mastered. Definately not the silly potpourri signature. Winter fruit cake?! Come on.
Ledbetter , United States
5 years ago
Good
Super tast nice drink
Nagasekharreddy , India
5 years ago
My review of the REVIEWS below THIS BOTTLE is BEST.
How can anybody taste from a bottle which costs 255 american and complain of dullness, harshness? Simple foolishness... This bottle has bar far been the best I have ever opened and sipped. A multitude of flavors combined with simple softness at the end of the swallow. 1. Don’t smoke and drink. Taste this with a clean mouth. Some people are affected by eating food, again clean mouth. 2. Shooters? You clown. What are you thinking? Fool. Perpetrator of common sense!!! To the "terrible with harshness", what was your bottle source? Any chance you drank of a fake? No way a person with taste rates this as a 1.5 stars of 5... muggle head!!! To the 70 year old who rated as an 8 of ten with 4 stars, yet penned it was the best in his life?! Wouldn't that make it a ten of 10 or better? FYL... what you thinking? To Bull-oney.... where are your taste buds? What are you comparing against? What is your other favourites? Clearly, you are sure what you are drinking. I lost my effort for your foolishness. OK, II could be pissed all day and these lame reviews, so instead here is mine.

I miss my bottle. NOPE not paid here, in fact the bottle that I had was gifted from hard work. I didn’t know its value until I searched for its replacement! I loved the soft flavors (soft with no choking, biting, acid bucking, stomach turning). I loved the smell before and after sips. I loved the delightful flavors busting out after a couple sips. Hey, we’re all different, try it with water, try it with ice, try it with ginger... But let's be real, don’t try it if a 20 dollar bottle is all you can afford or want to afford. It’s outside our current appreciation level.

PS. Yes 65 a glass is normal in a pub. No its not normal in common sense. AFTER i paid 24 dollars for a mc callum I didn't like in delta sky club, I buy anything I want in the 100 range seeing it as 4 drinks in a public forum then I share my ass off making all my friends nip on drops of nectar in small glasses. Oh the pleasure of converting a beer swizzler into a fine taster of the Scotch nectars. Bless you Glenlivet and all the years of study and work. You have shared an excellent product that deserves more than 5 stars. The true 21 archive will blow your taste buds... in the best way!
email , United States
5 years ago
The Glenlivet 21 is the best scotch I’ve ever had.
I bought a shot at my preferred bar a couple weeks ago. The 21 was sooooooo damn extraordinary I had to have a couple more shots before I left. I don’t regret it, even though the tab was horrifying for a single night. The 21 has all of the excellent qualities of its 15 and 18 year old brothers with greater complexity and some extra added benefits of its own with its excellent syrupy chocolate and coffee notes, as well as some additional smoke. I haven’t tried the 25 and the rare older vintages, but I cannot even imagine how one could improve on the 21. It is damn near perfection in a bottle. The Glenlivet 21 will be my next major bottle purchase, sitting next to its younger brothers and the Macallan 18 on my top shelf. Cheers!

PS Balvenie 12, 15, and 17 are not even in the same ballpark in terms of quality and complexity as the Glenlivet 18 or 15 for that matter. I haven’t tried Balvenie’s older bottles, but I doubt they can hold a candle to the 21 either.
Master of Malt Customer
6 years ago
Smooth elegant refined, a real class act.
Smooth, elegant and refined. Subtle layers of flavor, a real class act.
Master of Malt Customer
7 years ago