Glenfiddich 12 Years Old

By Barry Bradford on April 9, 2018 • ( 1 Comment )

Glenfiddich 12 Years Old (40%, OB, 2017)

Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky
Origin: Glenfiddich distillery
Bottling: William Grant & Sons, Official
ABV: 40%
Cost: £30.95

What they say

Fresh pear, subtle oak

Flowing in the Valley of the Deer since 1887, our family’s signature expression is the world’s most awarded single malt Scotch whisky*.

With a unique freshness from the same Highland spring water we’ve used since 1887, its distinctive fruitiness comes from the high cut point William Grant always insisted upon.

Carefully matured in the finest American oak and European oak sherry casks for at least 12 years, it is mellowed in oak marrying tuns to create its sweet and subtle oak flavours.

Creamy with a long, smooth and mellow finish, our 12 Year Old is the perfect example of Glenfiddich’s unique Speyside style and is widely proclaimed the best dram in the valley

What I say

Not sampled for quite some time, I have another batch of random Glenfiddich expressions and was recently gifted a bottle of the 12 Year old ‘Signature Malt’.

So in the spirit of our Back to Basics 2018 campaign lets revisit the Glenfiddich 12 Year Old expression.

My tasting notes:

Appearance: Sauternes gold (8/10), medium-fine tears form & run slowly leaving fine legs.
Nose: Fruity, pear, Doyenne du Comice, with a touch of crisp green apple also, a hint of brown sugar and dark acacia or woodland honey, a hint of tannin and some sweet cinnamon spiced frosting or cinnamon buns.
Taste: Light-medium bodied, sweet and fruity, apple and pear juice, pear flesh/skin, malt, honey and vanilla add a depth to the sweetness, a touch of oak wood tannin and spices, cinnamon and ginger reveal a thinner citric lemon/lime juice tartness.
Finish: Medium-long, sweet, spiced and drying.

Overall

A classic expression from Glenfiddich with a huge hit of fruity and fresh pears on the nose that travels throughout this whisky. Expertly constructed using American and Sherry oak casks. I love the slightly drying nature in the finish making me want to revisit the freshness on the nose again.