A Classic Speyside Scotch: Glenfiddich 12 Review
Ah, Speyside…
When it comes to Scotch whisky, the Speyside region is like Disneyland.
Within an area the size of Luxembourg, you will find more than 50 active distilleries, responsible for over half of the whisky produced in Scotland each year!
The region is home to renowned names such as The Macallan, The Glenlivet, Aberlour and, of course, the star of this article- Glenfiddich.
Even if you’re nowhere near an avid whisky buff, you have undoubtedly seen that famous green bottle with the little golden stag and the number 12 under it. After all, how could you miss the most often sold single malt in the world?!
So, today, I present to you the quintessential Speyside “starter” single malt - the original Glenfiddich 12.
But first, let’s find out a bit more about the people responsible for this ambery goodness.
The Glenfiddich Distillery was founded in 1886 by William Grant in the valley (or “glen”) of the river Fiddich, near Dufftown. Legend has it that the first whisky to come out of the stills at Glenfiddich was on Christmas Day the following year. And it was the first of many, many more litres that the Grants would produce. In fact, Glenfiddich is still family-owned, with the fifth generation of William Grant’s descendants currently at the helm.
The distillery underwent a large expansion in the 1950s. The Grant family added an on-site coppersmith, responsible for maintaining the copper stills, as well as a dedicated cooperage, supplying the all-important casks used for maturing the spirit. In 1956, Glenfiddich introduced the iconic triangular bottle, which has become somewhat of a trademark for the brand.
During the 60s and 70s, whisky fell out of fashion and many distilleries suffered as a consequence. Glenfiddich was no exception.
To save the struggling business, the Grants launched a series of marketing campaigns. They went all in and started advertising “single malt whisky” as a premium product. They were the first to do so and by all estimations, their efforts were a success.
In fact, it’s safe to say that Glenfiddich alone carved a niche for single malt scotch on the market. To this day, Glenfiddich is one of the most recognisable single malts in the world.
Production:
Glenfiddich is produced at a truly impressive scale. The distillery manages to deliver around 10 million litres of whisky each year.
On-site at the production plant in Dufftown, there are 43 “swan neck” copper pot stills, which have a production capacity of 21 million (!) litres of spirit. All stills are handmade and Glenfiddich employs a team of coppersmiths to make sure that the stills are always in perfect condition.
The nearby Robbie Dhu springs supply the distillery with fresh, clean water which is used in all Glenfiddich whisky. Once the new make spirit is taken off the stills, it is matured in a variety of different casks.
In our case, the Original 12-year-old Glenfiddich is matured in Oloroso Sherry (15%) and ex-bourbon casks (85%). In the final 9 months before being bottled, the whisky is mixed and left to “marry” in custom-sized oak tuns.
The dominance of ex-bourbon casks immediately suggests to us that the prevailing flavours would be ones of vanilla, caramel and generally lighter fruit. Sherry is typically associated with darker fruits, a more nutty and full flavour. So, we shouldn’t expect much of that in here.
But I suggest we don’t judge a whisky by its label… Let’s actually dive in and see what’s in the green bottle.
Tasting Notes:
Nose:
The first associations that come to mind are “inviting” and “sweet”. There isn’t a strong alcohol punch. You can feel the spirit, but it’s not the first thing that hits you.
The sweetness is light and fruity and reminds me of red apples and ripe pears. The vanilla is present, mixed with a strong malt sugar note, developing into caramel. When spending some time with it, shortbread biscuits come to mind. There are some floral notes that I wasn’t able to distinguish at first.
When adding (a few drops) of water, vanilla pudding appears, which combines really well with the caramel. There is also a hint of oak in the background. The floral note becomes more prominent. I picked up a bit of spearmint and jasmine.
Taste:
The arrival on the palate is gentle and creamy. For a 40% ABV whisky, I was surprised at how oily it is and how well it coats the mouth. Notes of butterscotch and orchard fruits (mostly red apples) dominate. On the back of the palate, hints of wood spice, black pepper and clove from the oak appear.
With water, honey appears, still dominated by butter and caramel notes. The oak spiciness becomes a bit more prominent.
Finish:
Short to medium finish. The creamy texture remains. Oak spice appears and lingers for a while longer.
Conclusion and Mark:
A clean and fresh dram. Overall, this is an easy drinker and quite enjoyable.
However, it’s not super complex. Оnce you have tried a few different whiskies, especially at higher ABV, this might seem boring. It’s a bit pedestrian once you get used to the flavours it has to offer.
Having said that, it’s a very respectable single malt and a great way to introduce a newbie to single malt scotch.
Mark: 80/100
Final thoughts:
Every time I try Glenfiddich 12 I know exactly what to expect. And I am yet to be disappointed. It’s amazing that they keep the consistency batch after batch, especially when you consider the scale of the production.
I thoroughly enjoyed reviewing this dram. It’s a very accommodating whisky designed to fit everyone’s tastes. And I have to say it delivers on that with flying colours.
Would I buy a bottle of this again? Yes, absolutely. It’s a nice one to have in the collection and handy to keep around the house if you are trying to convert some of your friends to scotch whisky.
Having said that, I probably would not buy this at the standard retail price (about 35–40 Euros where I am). It’s getting a bit expensive for what it offers. Since it’s a popular brand with good marketing, you can expect regular discounts, particularly around the holidays. I’d wait for those.
Would I buy it at the bar? Yes, absolutely. Glenfiddich 12 is always a great bet at the bar, particularly if they don’t have a large selection of scotch. As I said, the consistency is there. You have an expectation and Glenfiddich delivers every time.
