Two Brands, Two Different Whisky Styles. The Best After-Work Whiskies. Sometimes, having an after-work drink is the only way to stay sane. With our hectic lifestyles, it’s only unnatural to want to unwind once in a while. Of course, you might want to take it easy. Slow and steady is the best way to go around having a drink with co-workers.
Whisky might be the single-best sipping drink on the planet and one of the most soothing as well. There’s so much pleasure in a dram of golden Scotch. All those nuanced flavors and aromas, and the texture! I could go on, and I shall.
When it comes to a solid drink, Scotch is hard to beat, but with around 130 distilleries, each with dozens of labels, how to choose? You can start with two fantastic brands, The Glenlivet, and The Macallan.
THE GLENLIVET, ORIGINAL BY TRADITION
The History
This distillery takes its name from the Livet valley, where the distillery’s founder, George Smith, started bootlegging whiskey in the early 1800s. After going legit, becoming the first legal distillery in Scotland, Mr. Smith, with two guns strapped around his waist, had to fight bootleggers and copycats for years until he finally gained the ownership of the name The Glenlivet. He soon went on to build one of the most exciting distilleries in Speyside.
In the 1950s, The Glenlivet sales represented 50% of the American market, and that’s no surprise; the distinctly smooth, fruity taste, the distillery’s signature style is welcomed by amateurs and connoisseurs alike. Today The Glenlivet takes second place in sales after Glenfiddich.
The distillery’s expressions often show a malty sweetness on the nose, with hints of toffee and biscuits. Fruit flavors dominate the palate and go from golden apples to apricots and mango, all infused with the unmistakable oak spices proper of a long aging process.
The Collection
The Glenlivet’s malts are divided between the Heritage Collection, from which the 12, 15, and 18-year-old single malts excel, the Travel Retail special editions, and the real fancy stuff, the Cellar Collection, including malts aged for 50 years in cask. Here are a few The Glenlivet expressions to try:
The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve 1824
A relatively recent addition to the collection, this malt with no aged statement is an homage to Mr. Smith’s vision, bringing forward a smooth, creamy malt that’s very easy to enjoy. With a pale-gold color, and a nose reminiscent of candied citrus peels, ripe pears, and zesty fruits on the palate, this smooth malt shows what traditional oak and American first-fill casks can do.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
This is The Glenlivet’s best-selling expression and the distillery’s flagship malt. With a bright, vibrant-gold color, the 12-year-old is aged in European and American oak and brings forward fresh tropical fruit aromas redolent of pineapples over a vanilla-infused, creamy palate of significant length. Incredibly versatile at the table, it’s easy to see why this is one of the most popular expressions, not only from the distillery but from Scotland.
The Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish
Nàdurra means natural in Gaelic and stands for everything this expression represents, honoring traditional whisky-making methods. The malt is dried with peat smoke, which adds a smoky layer to the house’s classic fruity core. The Amber gold malt is complex and spicy, with stone fruits, vanilla paste, and smoke, and a lengthy aftertaste. A fantastic take on Speyside malts.
The Macallan, Nestled Above The River Spey
The History
The Macallan is the third best-selling single malt on earth. Founded in 1824, this is also one of the first licensed distilleries in the Scottish Highlands. Founded by Alexander Reid, a barley farmer, and school teacher, the ‘Macallan’ is the perfect combination between the barley farming traditions in Speyside and the pristine selection of oak casks from Spain and America.
The distillery uses the smallest stills in the valley, adding a unique personality to its expression. Creamy, fruit-forward malts ornamented with smoke, caramel, and toffee aromas from the oak casks.
Quality is paramount in The Macallan, and strict measures are taken throughout the process to ensure the finest whiskies possible. Since 80% of the aromas in a dram come from oak casks, The Macallan goes to great lengths to source the best casks from around the world. Whether it’s ex-bourbon casks, or Oloroso Sherry barrels, American or European oak, the distillery certainly knows a thing or two about selecting casks.
The Collection
The Macallan’s collection is extensive. The distillery’s range exclusively aged in Sherry Casks is popular, but much more the Double Cask and Triple Cask categories. For the most complex expressions, the Limited Releases, and Travel Retail exclusives are coveted by collectors. At the same time, the Quest Collection is an entry-level selection ideal for getting started in the realm of single malts. These are some expressions to try:
The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old
The honeyed richness, characteristic of The Macallan’s style, merges with sweet oak vanilla and winter spices on the nose and palate for bitter oranges, caramel, and sweet smoke, leaving a long aftertaste redolent of pickled ginger. This is one of the most successful expressions in The Macallan’s catalog and shows their mastery when it comes to selecting casks.
The Macallan Estate
This exclusive malt is made with estate-grown barley and crafted with the most traditional methods. A richer style, this expression shows chestnuts, burnt cinnamon, caramel, and dried fruits on the nose over a luscious palate of dried fruits, sultanas, and raisins. Spicy in the back-palate, this full-bodied whisky always over-delivers.
The Macallan Reflexion
From the exclusive Decanter Collection Series, this larger-than-life malt is all about showcasing its blood-orange natural color. Bold and mature, this expression is aged in large, first-fill hogshead casks made of Spanish and American oak. Dried orange peels, chocolate ganache, caramel, and sweet brown spices evolve in the nose over a coating palate with dried fruits, ginger, and apple peel flavors. Beautifully balanced and smooth, this is an expression to remember.
Two Brands, Two Different Whisky Styles. The Best After-Work Whiskies
Sometimes, having an after-work drink is the only way to stay sane. With our hectic lifestyles, it’s only unnatural to want to unwind once in a while. Of course, you might want to take it easy. Slow and steady is the best way to go around having a drink with co-workers.
Whisky might be the single-best sipping drink on the planet and one of the most soothing as well. There’s so much pleasure in a dram of golden Scotch. All those nuanced flavors and aromas, and the texture! I could go on, and I shall.
When it comes to a solid drink, Scotch is hard to beat, but with around 130 distilleries, each with dozens of labels, how to choose? You can start with two fantastic brands, The Glenlivet, and The Macallan.
THE GLENLIVET, ORIGINAL BY TRADITION
The History
This distillery takes its name from the Livet valley, where the distillery’s founder, George Smith, started bootlegging whiskey in the early 1800s. After going legit, becoming the first legal distillery in Scotland, Mr. Smith, with two guns strapped around his waist, had to fight bootleggers and copycats for years until he finally gained the ownership of the name The Glenlivet. He soon went on to build one of the most exciting distilleries in Speyside.
In the 1950s, The Glenlivet sales represented 50% of the American market, and that’s no surprise; the distinctly smooth, fruity taste, the distillery’s signature style is welcomed by amateurs and connoisseurs alike. Today The Glenlivet takes second place in sales after Glenfiddich.
The distillery’s expressions often show a malty sweetness on the nose, with hints of toffee and biscuits. Fruit flavors dominate the palate and go from golden apples to apricots and mango, all infused with the unmistakable oak spices proper of a long aging process.
The Collection
The Glenlivet’s malts are divided between the Heritage Collection, from which the 12, 15, and 18-year-old single malts excel, the Travel Retail special editions, and the real fancy stuff, the Cellar Collection, including malts aged for 50 years in cask. Here are a few The Glenlivet expressions to try:
The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve 1824
A relatively recent addition to the collection, this malt with no aged statement is an homage to Mr. Smith’s vision, bringing forward a smooth, creamy malt that’s very easy to enjoy. With a pale-gold color, and a nose reminiscent of candied citrus peels, ripe pears, and zesty fruits on the palate, this smooth malt shows what traditional oak and American first-fill casks can do.
The Glenlivet 12 Years Old
This is The Glenlivet’s best-selling expression and the distillery’s flagship malt. With a bright, vibrant-gold color, the 12-year-old is aged in European and American oak and brings forward fresh tropical fruit aromas redolent of pineapples over a vanilla-infused, creamy palate of significant length. Incredibly versatile at the table, it’s easy to see why this is one of the most popular expressions, not only from the distillery but from Scotland.
The Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish
Nàdurra means natural in Gaelic and stands for everything this expression represents, honoring traditional whisky-making methods. The malt is dried with peat smoke, which adds a smoky layer to the house’s classic fruity core. The Amber gold malt is complex and spicy, with stone fruits, vanilla paste, and smoke, and a lengthy aftertaste. A fantastic take on Speyside malts.
THE MACALLAN, NESTLED ABOVE THE RIVER SPEY
The History
The Macallan is the third best-selling single malt on earth. Founded in 1824, this is also one of the first licensed distilleries in the Scottish Highlands. Founded by Alexander Reid, a barley farmer, and school teacher, the ‘Macallan’ is the perfect combination between the barley farming traditions in Speyside and the pristine selection of oak casks from Spain and America.
The distillery uses the smallest stills in the valley, adding a unique personality to its expression. Creamy, fruit-forward malts ornamented with smoke, caramel, and toffee aromas from the oak casks. Quality is paramount in The Macallan, and strict measures are taken throughout the process to ensure the finest whiskies possible.
Since 80% of the aromas in a dram come from oak casks, The Macallan goes to great lengths to source the best casks from around the world. Whether it’s ex-bourbon casks, or Oloroso Sherry barrels, American or European oak, the distillery certainly knows a thing or two about selecting casks.
The Collection
The Macallan’s collection is extensive. The distillery’s range exclusively aged in Sherry Casks is popular, but much more the Double Cask and Triple Cask categories. For the most complex expressions, the Limited Releases, and Travel Retail exclusives are coveted by collectors. At the same time, the Quest Collection is an entry-level selection ideal for getting started in the realm of single malts. These are some expressions to try:
The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old
The honeyed richness, characteristic of The Macallan’s style, merges with sweet oak vanilla and winter spices on the nose and palate for bitter oranges, caramel, and sweet smoke, leaving a long aftertaste redolent of pickled ginger. This is one of the most successful expressions in The Macallan’s catalog and shows their mastery when it comes to selecting casks.
The Macallan Estate
This exclusive malt is made with estate-grown barley and crafted with the most traditional methods. A richer style, this expression shows chestnuts, burnt cinnamon, caramel, and dried fruits on the nose over a luscious palate of dried fruits, sultanas, and raisins. Spicy in the back-palate, this full-bodied whisky always over-delivers.
The Macallan Reflexion
From the exclusive Decanter Collection Series, this larger-than-life malt is all about showcasing its blood-orange natural color. Bold and mature, this expression is aged in large, first-fill hogshead casks made of Spanish and American oak. Dried orange peels, chocolate ganache, caramel, and sweet brown spices evolve in the nose over a coating palate with dried fruits, ginger, and apple peel flavors. Beautifully balanced and smooth, this is an expression to remember.
Want the latest posts, offers, and exclusive content straight to your inbox? Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss out again. See more Business posts here.
