Review by: The Muskox

This dram was poured at last night’s Glenfiddich tasting, put on by the venerable Toronto Whisky Society. In my buzzed haze, it seems I forgot to take a picture of this bottle.

After a pour of the excellent-for-the-price 14-year-old Bourbon Barrel Reserve, we moved on to the classic Glenfiddich 18. I’ve had this whisky a few times before, but haven’t gotten the chance to take some real notes. One of these days I’ll get around to reviewing the 12 as well…

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Distillery: Glenfiddich.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 40%.

Age: 18 years.

Cask type: A vatting of about 70% ex-bourbon casks 30% Oloroso sherry casks.

Price: $195 CAD.

Color: e150. Chill-filtered.

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Nose: Sweet. Quite sugary-fruity – lots of raisins, some pear, cherries, strawberried, and orange zest. Soft caramel and chocolate. A bit of a fragrant lavender note sits underneath.

Palate: Fairly thin texture. Arrives sweet with dried apples, chocolate-covered strawberries, and ice wine. Develops to balanced oak and some black tea.

Finish: Short. Light oak, nutmeg, toffee apples, and light red fruit. Something like powdered hot chocolate mix.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Last-minute gas station Valentine’s Day gift”

Conclusion: It’s a big meh. The nose is quite nice, if a little sugary. I’d call it “pandering”, if only that didn’t make me sound like a pretentious jackass. The rest of the dram is just too thin and lacks complexity. A fine whisky, but that 14yo is considerably better.

Final Score: 74.

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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.