Glenfiddich 12 Year Our Sherry Cask Finish

I can’t tell if this is a fixture in the lineup or was meant to be an exclusive. The packaging indicates the latter, but this has been in the market for quite some time. Either way, I thought this looked like a cool opportunity to get back to the basics and try a twist on one of the whiskies that helped introduce me to the genre. The sherry influence and extra 3% ABV are definitely things I would’ve told you the original 12 could have used years ago, so it’s pretty cool to see it in practice. Nose: Vanilla, toffee, and honey. Strawberry jam, raisin, apricot, and pear. Heavy almond. Welch’s White Grape Juice. Strong floral notes. Fig and date. Honeydew. Palate: Strong taste of apple, pear, and apricot. Some golden raisin in there. Raspberry and orange citrus. Toffee, honey, and butterscotch. Date, fig, and cranberry. Vanilla and caramel. Cinnamon, white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Vanilla, caramel, and milk chocolate. Toffee, honey, and butterscotch. Cranberry, raspberry, fig, and date. Orange citrus. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate-long. Overall, I like the addition of the Amantillado cask here. The extra 3% doesn’t hurt either. Typical Glenfiddich, Speyside, fruity profile. Good balance, and a little more kick than I’m used to with GF. If I were in charge, this would replace the flagship 12. And that’s why I’m not in charge. Because I’m sure that little extra time and care that went into this one is at odds with their goal of having the number one single malt expression on the planet. Oh well. At $63, I’d say this hits the mark. Boy has Scotch seen some heavy inflation. I know that’s turned some people toward bourbon here in the states, but when these Scottish distilleries continue to deliver innovative, high-quality expressions year after year, it’ll take some extreme price-gouging for me to abandon the genre. Fun whisky here. 4/5 even.

Nose: wonderful ripe orchard fruits, pleasant dried fruits, light honey, malty toasted grains, slight nuttiness, hint of vanilla, spice, oak. Palate: fruit, dried fruit mix, sherry, spiced cake, hint of cinnamon, vanilla, a little roasted nuttiness with a touch of smokiness, tobacco. Finish is lightly peppery with the barrel char and slightly grassy note that has the mildest of bitterness. Overall, a very solid 12yr old compared to plenty of others I’ve had. Worth a try.

This is a very pleasant sherried scotch. Nose and palate are rich and full with dark red fruits and malt. Plenty of seasoned oak for balance with some nice spices as well. Long soft finish dries out short of tannic. Actually quite surprised , was expecting it to be decent but this can hold its own against the other heavy hitter 12 yr sherry bombs.....88/100

Oak, sherry, lightly fruity on the smell. The Amontillado gives this whisky a particular flavor on the palate. A little bit hot for a 43% abv. Spices at the end, cinnamon mostly, and bitter finish. I bought this bottle since it was affordable and I never had a scotch with an Amontillado finish before. It didn’t disappoint if you consider the price range.

Nose: Soft and fruity, with pear, honey, and hints of dried fruit and cinnamon. Palate: Light and smooth, showing notes of baked apples, vanilla, almonds, and a touch of sherry richness. Finish: Clean and mellow, with subtle oak, gentle spice, and a trace of sultana sweetness.

Nose: oak, sherry, sweet spice and a hint of vanilla with nutty aromas. Taste: sherry, vanilla, tobacco and all spice. Finish: sherry upfront with vanilla mid palate and finishes with lingering sherry, hints of vanilla and all spice. It mellows very nice on the backend.