Taste: cotton candy, oak, dark chocolate. Great whiskys all. Glenfiddich 18 (Batch 3081) Price: $70. If you’re drinking a 12 year old scotch, it is likely the majority of the whiskey is much older! The concept of how this whisky is produced is very interesting. It is then dried over hot air to halt the germination process. It is rich and complex with a big fruit and spice kick. Speyside single malts general have similar flavor profiles to most other single malts, but they are a little sweeter. Adding water brings out the classic Speyside grassy flavors. These are European or American oak casks that have held bourbon or sherry before. 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account.

Try goat cheese or brie for cheeses. Bronze intense. By accessing Badger & Blade, you agree to abide by the Terms of Usage. Gourmet coffee, bread puddings, apple pie or crumble all fit the sweet profile as well! I opened both at the same time and gave the 18 to my father and I've never tried it since. Nose: fresh fruit, flowers, honey, perfume. The head is the first portion of the liquid and has too high alcohol content. Each still is heated to separate out the levels of whisky since alcohol and water boil at different temperatures. This creates a smoother, more uniform end product! Apple notes replace the smokier flavors.

Need to contact the B&B Team? Long and lingering with hints of butter, chocolate and citrus peel. So people tend to disregard it in favour of the more "exclusive" SMWs. Hints of orange marmalade, apricots and soft malt make an appearance along with shavings of dark chocolate and cinnamon. Thanks for doing a comparison of different bottles of the same brand, it really helps!

As the mash is turned the starches in the barley convert to sugar creating a syrupy mush called “wort.”.
It gave us a chance to noise each one side by side. But the phrase “Single barrel” does indicate the whiskey came from one special barrel. Her favorite nose of the bunch. Glenfiddich is the newer distillery but uses older whiskey-making methods, whereas Glenlivet is the older distillery and uses newer whiskey-making methods. They can then be easily removed leaving a clearer liquid without the unappetizing haze. There are two main types: the lighter, sweeter variety (Glenlivet and Glenfiddich fall into this category) and the fuller-bodied, sherried versions (like MacAllen). They are all so different and so unique and each has their own merits. Color: Amber +0. My name is Brendan and I love nosing and tasting whiskies as much as I enjoy writing about them. Glenfiddich 15 Year Old – Unique Solera Reserve Review.
It gives the whisky some unique notes. Thread starter singlemalts; Start date Sep 16, 2010; Sep 16, 2010. This one was bottled at the slightly higher ABV (43% vs. 40%) than the last two. Single Malt can only be labeled as “scotch” if the following criteria are met: If there is an age marked on the bottle, there should also be a bottling year included. GLENFIDDICH 18 Ans small batch. Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead. Bourbon vs Brandy: What’s the Difference? The maltiness carries through but chooses to remain in the background. No peat to sherry notes detected. Nose (according to the wife): Talk about sweet! Citrusy and bright. ( Log Out /  2053 Tastes community rating.

Try sweet maduros. Brebirousse d’Argental cheese, Cassoulet, freshly baked apple pie with ice cream, Coffee and dark chocolate macaroons, aged gouda cheese. Try them both for yourself and see which makes you happier. There is a definite orangey note to this dram which makes it rather enticing and enjoyable. However, the finish is a complete let down. This seamlessly marries the blends and smooths out the idiosyncrasies of each different barrel. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. The only fruit I can sense is raisins as you get bit of the bitter aftertaste of the raisins. A little oak and ester seeps through. ( Log Out /  Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. (Peat can be used in this step to dry the grain and impart that smokey flavor!) Both iconic Single Malt Scotch examples, Glenlivet and Glenfiddich can probably be found at nearly every bar in town! Glenfiddich. Bourbon vs Scotch: What’s the Difference? Taste: molasses, oak, ginger bread, bananas, This is one of my favorite floral single malts. BOUCHE. These whiskies focus on the uniqueness of the barrel, rather than the consistent palate of the distillery. These are both two stellar releases. Check out some options below for a perfectly-paired feast! The 12 year is a typical mass product and doesn't not stand out in any particular way; an uninspired Scotch whisky expression. Then, when both elements have reached 18 years, they are blended back together. With time, ginger, oak and nutmeg appear, giving this dram a spicy edge. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky. There’s lots of the sherry and assorted fresh fruits (perhaps pear). The Glenmorangie 18 yo Extremely Rare whisky is mainly matured in bourbon casks with a bit of time in Sherry casks. Woody and toffee notes with full creamy pear. Glenfiddich uses differently shaped stills for wash and spirit distillation. Fresh fruit, pears and rich heather honey. It's a great range. (One example was “Macallan-Glenlivet.” No no, Macallen, you’re beautiful on your own!). ), In fact, it was so popular some of the other local distilleries started using the Glenlivet name to sell their own brands. However, there isn’t enough of it! But rather than use this opinion (or bias, if you will) cloud my judgement, I have decided to give all three whiskies a fair shout. 3 out of 5 stars ( 2053 ) The Solera Reserve expression from Glenfiddich is quite unique. There is a slight hint of anise and smoke at the very end and it intermingles rather well with the fruitcake and oak from the nose. Making single malts is very difficult and is a long process, so each year the market grows and these bottles are sold more expensively. ), Glenlivet vs Glenfiddich: The Original Single Malt Scotch Showdown. Raisins, cinnamon and fruitcake also make an appearance towards the end, intensifying the sweetness and richness of this dram. Conclusion: While the finish here is great, the nose is average and the palate leaves a lot to be desired. I can't comment on the 21 rum cask as I haven't tried it as of yet. Fire & Cane is blended with peated whiskies and aged in bourbon and rum barrels. Recently they’ve experimented with less common casks and flavor combinations. A Speyside single malt can only come from this specific region. Oak and fresh apple notes are intertwined with barley and cereals. Finish: Finish is very short with the hot, spicy burn of a young whisky. As it stands, Glenfiddich is the second-best selling single malt whisky brand in the world, having lost the top spot to Glenlivet in the middle of last year after slow sales growth halted their charge ever since they hit the one million cases sold benchmark a few years prior to that.

George’s reaction? Thick and syrupy with lots of spice and oak. Glenfiddich. https://scotchsamurai.blogspot.com/2009/07/glenfiddich-12-vs-15-vs-18.html Once the Malt Master decides they are ready to bottle, that’s when we get to enjoy it! It’s not a bad whisky by any means but it leaves a nice mark against the “older is better” mentality on whisky. For desserts or appetizers try cheeses like cheddar, brie, or bleu. The oak influence is strong here. Needless to say, the stuff my friends had at school didn't compare. While I’ve changed a lot since the last time I tried all three of these (including how much I spend on whisky…), my taste preferences must not have changed a whole lot. As I learn, I intend to share my experiences and thoughts with people while also providing reviews on whiskies old and new. I will state for the record though that my preferred whisky from the Glenfiddich core range is the 15 Years Old Solera Reserve. Our bottle of Glenfiddich 18 yo is part of the Glenfiddich’s Core range together with the 21 yo release. Today I look at the battle of the 18-year-olds. Brett. Years available: 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 21, 26, 30, 40, 50 (Winchester Collection). It’s medium to short in length. The reason why single malt whiskeys like Glenlivet and Glenfiddich is because they are rare, and not because they are aged longer.

Water brings out the fruit and oak aromas. Today I look at a comparison of 15-year-old whiskies; two classic brands. Glenfiddich tastes like wood and cream, whereas Glenlivet tastes like orange and vanilla. Years available: 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 21, 26, 30, 40, 50 (Winchester Collection). I love both of these releases. Their Vintage Reserve Collections have mostly sold out at this point, unfortunately. 1886 – Glenfiddich began as a family-run business using only second-hand equipment. Des arômes riches de fruits secs, de confiseries et de dattes, rehaussés d'élégantes notes de chêne. We started of with the 12, 15 and 18 year.

(22/25), Glenfiddich 18 Years Old Small Batch Reserve (40% abv). There is a certain richness in the malt which works very well with the citrus notes, giving this a fruity and almost jam-like note which is very enticing. These barrels are then combined and tasted to make sure the new single malt is indistinguishable from the old. Out of all the Glendfiddich bottles, I think the 15 year is the best in terms of price versus taste. Continuing on with the Speyside connection, this week’s review focuses on three different expressions from the same distillery going head to head against one another in the battle for supremacy. I'm more of a bourbon drinker than scotch, but I preferred the 15 by a bit over the 18 as well. Higher-end single malt scotches can be aged for decades. (Glenlivet does this all by machine now.). Once submitted, any posts, images, or content become the property of Badger & Blade. (Though both European Oak and American Oak are allowed.). Both Glenlivet and Glennfiddich are classic examples of Speyside Whiskey. These drams are both excellent. Review #18: Glenfiddich 15 Year – Solera Vat. But there are a few specifications between them that make all the difference! This retains the flavor of the barley and creates lighter, less smoky scotch.