Tasting Notes: Glenfiddich 15 Years Old

The 15 year old expression from this classic Speyside distillery outside of Dufftown comes from whisky aged in one of three barrel types: new oak, sherry, and bourbon. All three are then married in the Solera vat, followed by further time in Solera tuns. Since the Solera vat is always half-full, your 15 year old has been extracted from a very convoluted mixture of differently-aged Glenfiddich. But although this process seems extensive, the bottle costs just about $37– sounds like a steal for a quality 15 year old Speyside single malt coming from three types of wood, but does it deliver?

Abv: 40%

Color: autumnal bronze.

Legs: on the larger side, and medium-paced.

Nose: warm honey, green fruits (grannysmith apples, almost-ripe pears, maybe a few green grapes), and a healthy heaping of cinnamon-raisin porridge; very nice.

Palate: intense but very leathery, oaky, and earthy was my first impression; but then from a second pour a bit of that honey returned to coat the spices (cinnamon, cacao), what I imagine nubuck might taste like, and some fruit (mellow bananas).

Body: medium, with a round, honeyed jacket in the front but a very drying mouthfeel (with some heat) by the end.

Finish: kind of long; a spicy bitterness continues; a touch of heat develops.

Overall: Great nose, rich palate. Strong finish, if you liked the flavours. Compared to the 18 year, this drop is similarly profiled but with, expectedly, less complexity and also less balance (I felt that the spiciness really takes over the dram by the middle). Still, an interesting drop, and it feels like a 15 year Speyside single malt should feel (it’s not watery at 40%), and so in that sense it is easily worth the money if it fits within your range of taste.

Price (750 ml, US): $35–39