Review by: zSolaris

Christmas Countdown 2020 #10: Glenfiddich Age of Discovery 19 Year

Distillery: Glenfiddich

Region: Speyside

Age: 19 Year.

ABV: 40.0%

Cask Type: Ex-Bourbon cask

Price: Courtesy of /u/bradbobaggins

Color: 0.9, Amontillado Sherry.

This is the 10th installment of this years’ Christmas Countdown. You can see the entire 2020 series here or the 2019 edition here.

This particular review was done blind.

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Nose: (according to the wife) There’s a lot of molasses coming out. There’s a bit of menthol as well along with a very funky, mushroom-y note that’s reminiscent of Kweichow Maotai.

Palate: Not a whole lot going on. It’s a tad sweet, though it’s not a sugar sweetness but more of a malt-y/grain-y sweetness. There’s as bit more of the menthol as well.

Finish: Medium in length. There’s some bits of chocolate here and there mixed in with cardamom and menthol.

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Guess: Scotch, aged 10-14 years in length, under 45% ABV. Guessing it’s a blend, thinking Chivas.

Reveal: Glenfiddich Age of Discovery 19 Year

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Conclusion: I’d been tempted a few times to pick up this bottle to see what it’s like. I’m fairly glad that I didn’t. While it isn’t bad, it’s incredibly bland and boring. The nose is a bit off putting with that super funky, mushroom-y note of Kweichow Maotai that just reminds me of my wife’s boss’ parties. It doesn’t taste of much, just a bit of menthol and neutral sweet grain spirit. The finish is kinda fun with the chocolate, cardamom, and menthol but that’s not enough to redeem this. Would I buy a bottle? No.

Final Score: 72.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.