Malt of the month for August. 
Pale speyside gold with notes of citrus and toffee apples and a dreamy finish.

The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve has been created using the same time-honoured distillation methods used by George Smith way back in the 1820s. The lineage certainly has provenance as it dates back to before the Excise Act of 1823 made distilling legal in Scotland.
The marketing men claim it is as smooth and fruity as the first whisky from the original lantern-shaped, copper pot stills, and who am I to disagree with them.
It’s a lovely dram.

When George Smith began distilling, he selected whisky from the traditional oak casks of a range of ages, which gave each expression its own distinct characteristics. The Glelivet Founders Reserve aims to replicate this by selecting whisky from a variety of traditional aged oak casks along with American first-fill oak casks to provide a smooth, sweet creaminess balancing the complex fruity tones.

Tasting notes

A sweet dram, multi-dimensional and very drinkable in a number of ways.

The Nose:  Citrus fruit, sweet orange, toffee,

The Palate:  Zesty orange, pear, toffee apples, with a hint of anise

The Finish:  Long, creamy, smooth, toffee

The decision to replace the 12 year old with the Founders Reserve has not been universally acclaimed. The lack of an age statement always opens the door for criticism and this is no exception.

I find this an excellent dram to drink as a half’n’half.
In this case, neat with a crisp lager rather than a dark ale.
In Glasgow, I’d pair it with something like a St Mungo lager from West Beers. The standard Scottish 35ml measure gives the whisky enough heft to complement the lager throughout and it’s a great summer drink.

Perhaps not conventional wisky drinking, but what can I say.
It’s whisky. It’s a personal matter.
Drink what you like, as you like it.

Roadtested in the Scotia Bar, Glasgow, Scotland.