It's a 70cl bottle of Glenlivet Founder's Reserve, a 40% dram that's been matured in selected traditional and American first-fill oak casks. This careful maturation gives it a smooth sweetness ...

Accessible for Scotch newbies. Most days at 5 p.m., my mother-in-law grabs a bottle of The Glenlivet 12 and a Tervis tumbler, liberally pours a dram, adds ice and water, and gets the night rolling.