The Glenlivet 15-year-old French Oak Reserve

When I first started this blog I knew I would eventually have to write about a whisky I didn’t love. To be honest I’ve been holding out on writing about The Glenlivet 15-year-old French Oak Reserve for that very reason. This range of The Glenlivet was given to me as a Christmas gift by my boyfriend. I’ve since forgiving him but am uncertain if this bottle will ever be completely finished by me.


The Glenlivet 15-year-old French Oak Reserve is a Speyside whisky and Speyside is in the northern part of Scotland within the Highlands region. Although a small area within the Highlands, Speyside does account for about half of Scotland’s distilleries.


I consider the 15 a very inexpensive whisky bottle at around $40. It has an alcohol content of 40% proof and has a nice golden color.


If you are an inexperienced whisky drinker and are looking to start whisky drinking, you may be wooed by the price of this bottle. I can certainly understand that but would hope that you consider tasting other whisky’s after trying this one. I will state that The Glenlivet 15-year-old is a cut above The Glenlivet 12. If you are going to try it, go for the 15-year-old.


After the pour I smell sweetness and caramel. It does have a nice rich creamy almost buttery taste. This whiskey is very light and nutty. One of the biggest things I don’t love about this whisky is the after taste. The after taste is what keeps me from wanting more. It has a great start but lacks in the finish. If that were ever fixed, this would actually be a good whisky.


It is a very inexpensive whisky that has potential but disappoints in the end.  That is why it is under my list of whisky’s I don’t love. You can try and judge it for yourself.


Cheers!