Distinctly rich and fruity, the nose on the Glenlivet 12 is a meandering walk amongst orchard trees during picking season. There are trees of apples, of pears, and plums, and a neighbouring orchard of orange trees; a light breeze at your back is infused with bourbon vanilla. You might, or not, come across a fallen, over-ripe plum, that someone's recently crushed underfoot.These are the things that make up the nose of this surprisingly complex, for the price, 12-year old. Notes of apples, pears and plums persist within a fruit forward, velvety palate. A tarty undertone of orange zest balances out those over-ripe fruit flavours. The vanilla hasn't gone away, but now is accompanied by drops of honey and a dusting of cinnamon. Oily, velvety palates do not a long finish guarantee. Short and sweet, this finish will quickly melt away with a final note of walnuts and honey. PS: More often than not, a review of the Glenlivet 12 will include a comparison to that other Speyside celebrity, Glenfiddich 12. Depending on who does the count, one is number one, the other number two, in either the US market or worldwide. But who's counting. The two are similar but different, enough so that comparisons between them are made redundant and the necessity to choose annulled - simply get both, enjoy and draw your own conclusions.