Glenfiddich 15 Year Distillery Edition

- 2July2019

Classic GF vanilla, caramel, pepper spice and oak. Nothing groundbreaking, and sharp with the higher ABV, but still a nice dram from the good folks at Glenfiddich.

Nose: Quite a gentle combination of fruity aromas (apples, peaches, pears) with a hint of vanilla and oak spice. Water releases sweet orange and fresh-milled barley grist. Fresh, soft and relaxing overall. Palate: Easy on the arrival with sweet cereal and citrus notes, it turns spicy in the development with a wave of cinnamon, nutmeg and a sprinkling of white pepper. It does not become sharp, but there is a soft tannic presence that turns bitter/sour towards the finish. The texture is nothing special. Adding water greatly improves the palate by developing sweetness and knitting everything together. It also brings out more spices - cloves, allspice and anise (but quite mild). Finish: Short. Dry malty notes when neat. With water the finish is more gradual (but still short) and the aftertaste is sweeter and creamy with a hint of citrus. The official tasting notes here are accurate, but I wouldn't score this whisky quite as highly. Initially I thought this was a pretty average malt with little of interest happening, but it improved over time, particularly with the addition of a teaspoon of water. Tasted from a 30ml sample. Until recently this was just under $100 here, but now it is around $135 and at that price it is outclassed by the competition and I would not recommend it. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)

Nose - Warm & gentle spice, toasted bread, ginger, candied ginger w/ skin, light earthy bitter Taste - Gentle heat/tingle, apple/pear, dark simple syrup, light ginger spice, creamy/waxy mouthfeel, light golden raisin sweet Finish - Lingering waxy mouthfeel, sweet apples, toasted brioche, ginger heat, light bitterness that goes in & out Score - 81/100 Final Thoughts - This one was a bit muted at first on the nose but finally opened up after a few minutes to a fairly standard unpeated malt profile of apples/pears & warm/toasted malt. The creamy/waxy mouthfeel was a bit unexpected as it reminded me of a Clynelish. Higher proof was nice but the bitterness on the finish was a bit unexpected. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - No