The Speyside whisky region sits in the Highlands of Scotland. The River Spey flows between the Ladder and Cromdale Hills into the Grampian Hills. Numerous streams flow down to the River Spey, notably the River Avon and the River Livet. There are now only two distilleries situated along the valley of the River Livet; The Glenlivet and Tamnavulin. The valley floor of the River Livet is quite wide, but it narrows steeply as the valley rises up into the hills, where narrow pathways recall the old smugglers' roads to the key cities in the Lowlands. This mountainous region was virtually inaccessible during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries so illegal distilling was a favorite pastime.
With its abundant supplies of fresh water, easy access to barley, and peat on the moorland hills, Speyside was a region with everything readily available for distilling whisky. Most farmers produced some whisky for their own consumption which was accepted. Trouble came when farmers started to sell whisky and the government decided that such stocks should be taxed. Most farmers refused to pay. However, one landowner, the Duke of Gordon, worked with others to introduce a law legalizing the distillation of whisky. One of his own tenants, George Smith, applied for the first license to distill whisky in 1824. Smith was a colorful character who had changed his name from Gow, as his family had long been supporters of Bonnie Prince Charlie, who was unsuccessful in his claims to the Scottish throne.
Many distilleries incorporated the word "Glenlivet" in their whisky to let the consumer know that the whisky came from this particular part of Speyside.This led to problems of recognition and in 1880 the Smiths took others to court to stop them from using the words The Glenlivet. The judgment was found in the Smiths favor and now distilleries can only use Glenlivet by adding the word to their own name-for example, Tomintoul Glenlivet. Only one distillery can call itself The Glenlivet.
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The only whisky allowed to call itself "The Glenlivet" is historically the most famous Speyside malt.
The glen of the Livet has clean spring water that makes especially delicate whiskies. Among the distilling districts it is the one most deeply set into the mountains. Its water rises from granite and frequently flows underground for many miles. The mountain setting also provides for the weather that whisky-distillers like. When distilling is in progress the condensers work most effectively if they are cooled by very cold water, and in a climate to match.
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