The Glenlivet Travels ‘Beyond Speyside’ With Its Jamaica Edition

The Glenlivet has been producing whisky at its Speyside distillery in Scotland since 1824. But within the twenty first century, The Glenlivet’s attain is world, with bottles present in dives, speakeasies, upscale institutions, liquor shops, and residential bars in each nook of the seven continents (we assume there’s at the least a bottle or two to be present in Antarctica).

To rejoice its intensive worldwide footprint, the model is reimagining its 12-Year-Old single malt — one of many world’s hottest single malts — with its new “Beyond Speyside” collection, that includes the whisky with cask finishes from spirits all over the world.

The first bottling within the collection, The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Jamaica Edition, Treasure Beach, is completed for an undisclosed size of time in casks that previously held Jamaican rum. “We wanted to venture beyond tradition to discover remarkable taste experiences and bring new dimension to our whisky,” says Kevin Balmforth, Glenlivet’s cask grasp. “Jamaica felt like the perfect place to begin as a destination full of vibrancy, warmth, and originality, much like our whisky itself.”

Balmforth sees Speyside and Jamaica as kindred spirits, past simply the spirits they produce. “Both Scotland and Jamaica are defined by a deep connection to tradition and craftsmanship, but they each bring a distinct energy to the table,” he observes. “The Glenlivet has always stood for refinement and innovation, producing whiskies that balance fruit, floral notes, and smoothness. Jamaican rum, by contrast, is known for its intensity, vibrancy, and warmth. Together, they create a dialogue between worlds where Speyside’s refinement meets Jamaica’s rhythm and soul.”

The Jamaica Edition begins its life as a traditional 12-year-old Glenlivet earlier than its secondary maturation. Balmforth notes that the rum casks used are the identical ones as for Glenlivet’s Caribbean Reserve rum cask-finished expression — he describes it as “a high-ester rum with notes of pineapple, banana, and toffee. We found the balance of flavors with a higher ester rum created the right flavor profile.”

However, with Jamaica Edition, “we experimented with a different, more generous cask ratio. Here we identified a balanced ratio that intensifies the tropical sweetness and amplifies the smooth finish, creating a richer and more expressive flavor profile that captures the Caribbean influence without overpowering the signature Speyside characteristics.”

The Glenlivet describes Jamaica Edition as having vibrant tropical aromas of recent mango and pineapple with hints of coconut, balanced with a burst of inexperienced apple. On the palate, it affords fruity candy notes of juicy pineapple, complemented by wealthy vanilla and toffee, culminating in a clean and velvety caramel end. It’s meant to be sipped neat, on the rocks, or in its signature cocktail, the Banana Old Fashioned, which options banana syrup and a banana leaf garnish.

To assist unfold the phrase concerning the Beyond Speyside collection and the Jamaica Edition particularly, the Glenlivet has collaborated with famend Scottish actor Thomas Doherty for a digital campaign.

Doherty, who has beforehand labored with the model on its Glenlivet Tartan sample, is touring and exploring the island with Miqueal-Symone Williams, a former Miss Universe Jamaica. Jamaican-Scottish menswear designer Nicholas Daley can even be making a travel-focused capsule assortment that includes The Glenlivet tartan, set to launch in 2026.

The Beyond Speyside collection will change into a everlasting a part of the Glenlivet vary going ahead, however the Jamaica Edition will solely be accessible for a restricted time. Exact portions usually are not being disclosed, however manufacturing will stop in some unspecified time in the future earlier than reaching the subsequent vacation spot within the liquid travelogue in 2026.