Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky – 70cl

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Nose: aromatic, sweet fresh fruit, spice, raisins, honey, vanilla, sherry cask influence is noticeable but well balanced, dark fruits, plum, dark berries, cola, mineral note - this is a complex nose with many layers, very enjoyable, a preview of things to come. The finish is small, almost non existent, however there is a ghost of a wisp that has apples lingering, caramel, hints of citrus and cocoa. Like I said it's a ghost of a finish so that even a couple of minutes after you've finished your sip you have apples lingering oh so faintly in your mouth. Not bad at all! This is a lovely step up in the fiddich stable, this malt is a mixture of bourbon, sherry and Virgin oak casks mixed into a large vat ( solero vat) this large vessel is never actually emptied. Bottled at 40% which is a great shame because this is stunning at cask strength.. Never emptied, and kept half full of whiskies since 1998, our Solera Vat is the culmination of curious minds and the pioneering spirit of our family.

The Scottish Highlands are used to source the spring water, and only the best grain is used. No matter the age, each bottle is expertly created for an enticing taste and smooth finish. This whisky is aged in ex-sherry, ex-bourbon, and virgin American oak casks, and then married together in a Portuguese tun. At first opening, it smelled and tasted like a bourbon, as if it had a conflict of personalities, with all three types of casks vying for control of the nose. But consequent pours brought out its true identity. The 3 casks became 1, melded together, each identifiable, and yet harmoniously married, complex, and enjoyable. Finish: A warming slightly lingering finish, with spicy oak and pepper. Sweet vanilla, dark honey, and sherry intermingle as the finish subsides. Overall impressions: Diluting with a few drops of water opened up the flavour profile slightly, bringing out subtle tones of toffee, but I prefer it neat (the ABV is low to begin with (40 %); I’d love to sample a cask-strength sample or a dram with a slightly higher ABV). If you want a break from salt and smoke, this expression provides a warm, peaceful, affordable dram with a pleasant personality. In my local store it is priced slightly higher than the Glendronach 12 YO, and below the Balvenie 12 YO DoubleWood, which is about where it belongs. This review was done shortly after the Aberlour 16 DC review. I decided to write this review in comparison to Aberlour 16.

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Overall impressions: Diluting with a few drops of water opened up the flavour profile slightly, bringing out subtle tones of toffee, but I prefer it neat (the ABV is low to begin with (40 %); I’d love to sample a cask-strength sample or a dram with a slightly higher ABV). If you want a break from salt and smoke, this expression provides a warm, peaceful, affordable dram. It has slightly more body than a typical Speysider, and offers a pleasant personality. In my local store it is priced higher than the Glendronach 12 YO, and below the Balvenie 12 YO DoubleWood, which is about where it belongs.

Balance, Complexity: I like the balance of oak, perfume, and lemon grass. The hint of peat is nice but I wish it made a bigger appearance. Glenfiddich is one of the most, if not THE most, popular single malts around in terms of pure sales. Whether it deserves this level of popularity or not isn't something I'm going to argue over here, and I definitely try not to let such things sway my opinion either way- a lot of things that sell well are vastly outclassed by some lesser-known offerings, but at the same time it seems a lot of times very popular malts get panned to an extent as being 'too commercial' and the like. I can say that this particular offering, for me, falls somewhere in the middle of those two extremes- it's certainly tasty, and dangerously easy to drink, but at the same time it's certainly not what I'd call thrilling by any stretch of the imagination. Essentially it's the whisky equivalent of comfort food- it's tasty and enjoyable, but it's not impressive or particularly interesting. This would be a great drink to break out and share with some friends and relax with, particularly if they don't all drink whisky often. The finish is slightly bitter, yet as soft and buttery as the nose. Mixed peppercorns and salted caramel play up the sweet and salty nature of the finish. Lingering and satisfying, grassiness retains a lasting foothold. That story intrigued me when friend and fellow Connosr member Darren Rook explained it to me from the stand at this years Whisky Live, and after sampling (and enjoying) the dram I bought myself a bottle! It has a reddish gold colour, and on the nose is a combination of sherry, spice, citrus fruits and warmth! It’s much the same when you taste the whisky, with a little more fruit in there, and a woody feeling. For 20 years William Grant nurtured a dream to make the ‘best dram in the valley'. With the help of his family, he finally achieved that vision.

Glenfiddich

Palate: Nice sweet honey and oak entrance. Becomes tart golden raisins in an apple cake... then topped with zesty orange rinds. Aesthetic experience: Typical amber gold traditional color slightly on the lighter side. The body is like a nice medium light whisky. I hate the bottle shape and the 40% ABV . . . but this is nicer then the 12yo. Double Gold Award, Single Malt Scotch 13 to 19 Years Category – San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2013

Now for those who are unsure of what a solera bottling is, it's essentially where you have a vat of whisky from all sorts of barrels, and what you do is as you pull whisky out of the vat, you replenish it with more whisky so in theory you have a continually evolving whisky, that gradually gets older and older so that if you started this vat say 15 years ago and have been taking whisky out and putting whisky in, you still have the whisky from 15 years ago in. Nose: A serious fruit blast at first. Mostly melons and apples -- I sense very little citrus. Settles down after a while into a mellow pound cake with a hint of smoke. The Glenfiddich 15 Year Old is the only single malt matured in three distinct casks: ex-sherry, ex-bourbon, and new oak before being blended in a solera vat . This best single malt has an intriguingly subtle scent. Sweet heather honey and vanilla fudge are blended with deep dark fruits. Silky smooth, with hints of sherry oak, marzipan, cinnamon, and ginger, it is full-bodied and flavorful. It also has a satisfyingly rich finish with a lingering sweetness. Nose: Initially I acquired strong notes of dark fruits especially berries in the way of raspberries. Vanilla also shows up in the beginning. With time, I noticed extended dark fruits in the way of raisins and plums. Spices are starting to appear: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice comes along in an oxidized nose.Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. David Stewart, the fifth Malt Master, mellowed the whisky in the unique Solera Vat, a huge oak tun inspired by sherry bodegas in Spain and Portugal and continued to this day. As a result, the Glenfiddich 15 Year Old that is bottled today has a small bit of every other batch produced since the tun was originally filled in 1998. It’s an excellent method of ensuring consistency. Glenfiddich is crafted using a traditional recipe centered around three main ingredients: water, yeast and malted barley. All produce is chosen carefully and delicately to ensure each dram contains the best single-malt Scotch whisky. Development: Most powerful part of the experience so far. Nuts, caramel, more vanilla, and slight sprinklings of salt and pepper. For those who opt for a luxurious, fruity taste, try the Glenfiddich 18-year-old Single Malt Whisky. The most aged whisky in the flagship collection, this blend is alluring on the nose with scents of orchard fruit, baked apple and robust oak.