Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 47%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry and ex-Port
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: William Grant & Sons
Average price: € 70.00
Official website: www.glenfiddich.com
Vote: 84/100
After a while, we conclude the tasting of the four bottlings of Glenfiddich’s Experimental Series with the second one, released in early 2017, the result of the choice of casks by the distillery’s twenty brand ambassadors then vatted together by master blender Brian Kinsman: a rather ambitious idea and not exactly easy to realise!
The choice eventually fell on seventeen barrels ex bourbon, two butts ex sherry and one pipe ex port, as shown in this diagram, a truly commendable example of transparency for a distillery as conservative as Glenfiddich:
A real gamble and certainly an entertaining challenge for Kinsman, let’s see if what ended up in the (splendid) bottle was really worth all this effort!
Tasting notes
The nose is very fresh and crisp, with vegetal and fruity notes chasing each other between the nostrils: white and tropical fruit (pear, peach, plum, apricot, pineapple), currants, lemon juice, a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg, almonds. Lengthwise, meringue, blueberry juice, wood and a distinct mineral vein. Lively and jaunty.
The palate becomes warmer and darker, bringing out more of the red fruits (raspberries, currants, blueberries, sultanas) and blood orange, with brighter, more vibrant wine tones. There is no lack of soft components, albeit placed in the background, of honey, milk chocolate, butter biscuits, and the always rather vivid mineral vein returns. Wood spices and vegetable notes close the circle.
The finish is of medium length with the tannins driving fruity tones, almonds, spices and mineral and vegetable afflatus.
Curious how in the end are the less present casks that dominate the vatting, being more interesting on the nose than it turns out to be on tasting, with a level that nevertheless remains high and pleasant, demonstrating what Glenfiddich can do when it flexes its muscles.