Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 40%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry and new
Chillfiltered: Yes
Added coloring: Yes
Owner: William Grant & Sons
Average price: € 60.00
Official website: www.glenfiddich.com
One of the most interesting bottlings in Glenfiddich’s core range, it uses a system inspired by the Solera used for sherry in Spain.
It was in 1998 that the Malt Master at the time, David Stewart, decided to fill a huge oak vat of around 37,000 litres with whiskies aged at least fifteen years, including ex-sherry and ex-bourbon, with some of the latter finished in new casks. This vat is emptied by about half to go into other vatting tanks before being bottled, after which it is refilled with the contents of the same type of aged casks, thus finding inside distillates from the 1980s onwards in varying proportions.
According to the Scotch Whisky specification, maturation in casks larger than 700 litres does not count towards age on the label for single malts, so it is as if the whisky inside the Solera Vat (as it is called by Glenfiddich) has crystallised over time.
The same method is used by Thompson Bros. for their blended, SRV5 8yo.
Tasting Notes
The nose is as delicate as one might expect, but with a certain inviting elegance. In the foreground, nuts (almonds, hazelnuts), red fruit jam (plum, strawberry) and sultanas, light spice of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a substantial portion of pastry, including marzipan, custard and Rossana candy. Wildflower honey, with a drop of propolis. Malt base, candied orange, baked apple, pencil shavings. Encouraging.
Light on the palate, carrying forward a charge of black pepper and ginger to support the spices on the nose, which leave little else behind as they pass through: the volume of red fruits rises along with that of wood, gooseberries and currants are added while the pastry side is crushed and reduced to its minimum. It quickly becomes bitter, a marked vegetal side (tea leaves and tobacco) emerges and slips towards woody astringency. Note of muscovado sugar.
Fairly brief finish of red fruits, spices, nuts, vegetal and bitter notes.
Review: Interesting on paper, it fulfils its promise on the nose only to completely unfulfill it on the drink. I suppose it was (almost) inevitable, but I still expected more smoothness and elegance, which I regret not to have found.
Vote: 77/100