This is a continuation of the Glenfiddich reviews I’m doing because I got annoyed that I hadn’t gotten to them yet, because I’m harder on myself than anyone else for reasons that aren’t apparent or healthy. YAY!
If you thought the Cask Collection ended with the Select Cask, then you really need to look up what “collection” means. No, we have more! Up next is Glenfiddich Cask Collection Reserve Cask.
So what’s the story here? It’s… huh, well, I’m somewhat stumped, to tell you the truth. When I think of Glenfiddich 15, I think of a whisky that was aged in ex-Sherry casks and then married in a Solera vatting cask.
Glenfiddich Cask Collection Reserve Cask is aged in ex Spanish sherry casks and then vatted in Solera casks. But there’s me showing my age: I’m speaking of the older Glenfiddich 15 Solera, and not the current Glenfiddich 15, which is a blend of ex-Bourbon, ex-European oak, and New oak casks. So slap my wrist and do nothing else, like a white criminal.
For all of you who don’t want to hunt down my old review, I wasn’t the biggest fan of old Glenfiddich 15, comparing it to the experience one has when the stripper uses edible red glitter: Cheap, fake strawberry flavouring that doesn’t totally work, but overall isn’t a negative situation.
So now that you’re primed to hit up a strip club (now’s the time, they say a recession is coming because they are empty), let’s see how this tastes, shall we?
Price: €61 for a 1L bottle
Region: Speyside
Cask type: Spanish Sherry Casks
Abv: 40%
Colour: 2.5YR 4/10
Nose: Red licorice, oak, ginger, black pepper
Less chemical and fake than previously. Actually real flavours here, so we’re already doing better. Spice, heat, and some strawberries. So similar to what we had before.
Not minding it, though it’s a tad lighter. Don’t know if the age statement drop is there or they changed something. To be fair, the type of sherry could have changed too.
Taste: Apple, ginger, cloves, butter
Closer to Glenfiddich Select Cask now, with the apple and butter notes. Sherry has added heat/spice notes, but not in an extreme way. I feel like the younger age or maybe the lower abv is hiding some of the flavour.
Finish: Pineapple, ginger, cloves, nougat
Tropical, sweet, and spice. It’s alright, if simple. Simple, sweet, the tropical/tart aspect is the most interesting.
Conclusion: Pretty simple sherry Glenfiddich. I don’t know if it’s younger than the original or what, I don’t know if they read my old review and said “damn, can’t be known as the one stripper who is glowing red” (yeah, totally, this is sarcasm), or if they saw something in the sales. This is the old Glenfiddich 15 Solera but weaker, less fake, and with less to it.
So as someone who isn’t a fan of the old version, and this version has less, my thoughts are this is a skip. It’s not really interesting. It’s barely sherried, and the parts that are there are not fruity and are just some spice.
65/100
Scotch review #1552, Speyside review #440, Whisky Network review #2273
tomoderawhisky.ca 