Glenfiddich Age of Discovery Bourbon Cask 19 Year

Stop number 45 on the SDT is Glenfiddich. At one time this Speyside distillery was the top selling single malt in the world before they were overtaken by Glenlivet. This special release is different from their normal expressions not only in its age, but also the fact that it is exclusively matured in ex bourbon casks. The others are finished in sherry casks. Bottled at 40% ABV and most likely chill filtered and also it most likely has colorant added making it an amber color. The nose is surprisingly strong for only 40%. The ex-bourbon maturation is front and center. Caramel, vanilla, oak. Wood spices like cinnamon and ginger. It is also fruity though. Apples, toasted coconut, banana and red berries. Fairly creamy as well. Buttercream, peaches and cream. Quite a robust nose, warm and inviting. A little brown sugar and just a touch of mint. Some honey and a light floral note. Nice. The arrival on the palate is smooth and like a watered down bourbon, that's not a criticism just an observation. Fruity, apples, apricots and berries. Bitter almonds and walnuts show up. Oak, cinnamon, vanilla and honey. Not quite as complex as I had hoped, but good and easy drinking. Light bodied but mouth coating and a little oily. A medium short finish that is slightly bitter nuts, oak and fairly dry. The bourbon presence is strong here. Tastes more like a bourbon matured in ex bourbon barrels than a scotch in ex bourbon barrels. I was expecting more from a 19 year old, but I'm not disappointed either. Warm and very drinkable, but not worth the premium price of $170. Overall it's pretty good, but nothing all that special. 3.75. A big thanks to Pranay for offering up this expensive bottle for our tour. Cheers

It’s been a rainy, chilly few days here in central Virginia so it’s the perfect setting for settling down in front of the TV with some whisky. Time to break out a few more samples from my friends in the Scottish Distillery Group and putting in “the work”. First up tonight is this somewhat rare, expensive and well-aged offering from Glenfiddich: 19 Year Old Age of Discovery (Bourbon Cask). This one was supplied by my friend Pranay. She’s a shiny, new penny copper in the glass and smells of fresh cut oak as soon as the liquid began flowing from the sample bottle. It also formed some oily, quick legs when I spin it. The nose is all bourbon: cinnamon and peppery oak spices with a weird, musty smell settling in as I let it breathe well past 15-20 minutes. It wasn’t off-putting, so to speak, it was just odd. It didn’t transfer over into the initial sip so “no harm, no foul” I guess. The palate just delivered more bourbon cask, cinnamon, cut oak and the slightest bit of sweetness. It didn’t hang around long so I didn’t really get a chance to try harder to detect anything specific. The finish was medium length, warm-turning-spicy, but dry. More excellent oak notes hung around on the tongue and it ended up being a nice contrast from the super fruity, sweet scotch I paired this one with. Many thanks to Pranay for supplying this one, as it’s been on my radar for awhile and I just have a hard time plopping down $175+ for a ‘Fiddich. Yeah, I’m THAT snob you’ve read about... 4 stars. What’s next?

Glenfiddich and I have not really seen eye-to-eye. The general profile has never really grabbed me, save the 15 Year Solera. Through our sample group, I have the luxary of tasting things I would probably never purchase. Hence the benefits of tasting groups, to find those surprises or be surprised by the ones you would expect to be great. This one is intriguing: 19 years and sherry aging. The nose is floral and fruity. Cherries and pears, vanilla and honey. A unique (for me) note of suede with some straw ground the whisky giving with an earthiness. Nutmeg and cinnamon are delivered in thin and soft body. A touch of vanilla-honey sweetness work their way through. Oddly, over time, root beer notes are found as it opens. It takes a good and fair amount of time, and only for a glimpse as those notes eventually transform to brewed tea. The finish is short. Oak and mixed nuts with a slight honey and ginger and cinnamon zing. A nice, easy whisky that is not flashy but easily enjoyable. A simple sipper. However, it just did not grab me. For a 19 year, sherry-aged whisky, my expectation bar was set high. I would not refuse this, though I would not actively seek this out either. [Dry Glass: Melted caramels][85/100][Tasted: 10/27/15]

Before even start talking about this dram lets be clear about some things: 1.- i had before the 19yo age of discovery madeira wood cask. It is better than this one, although they are both very similar. 2.- fancy whiskies are, in my opinion, a little easier to drink, not having bold flavors or aromas. 3.- this is a superb dram, and my score will not do justice to it. Having said that, this 40%abv dram, is one of 3 "age of discovery" special bottles from Glenfiddich, and let me tell you, this is as great as the madeira wood cask i reviewed earlier this year. On the nose it is a little dim, but lovely: Salt, Wine, Brown sugar, Milk chocolate, Juicy purple Grapes. On the palate it was absolutely a kiss from an angel, veey very Sweet, Sugar, Ginger, Liquorice. It is so marvelous and thick in your palate. I get Honey, mellowed notes of toffee. Sweet and easy. Finish is very short with a peppery spice that is very beautiful. Due to the short finish and the dim aroma, i have to, against my will, give it a 90 over 100, but it feels like a lot more. Great dram. Go pick it up.

It's definitely influenced by bourbon. I enjoy their 14 year bourbon barrel, especially if you can still find it at the $60 range, as an easy go to sipper. This is that solid bottle x100 in the depth of flavor offerings, understanding that the predominant notes are from the bourbon (why you would buy it). There's toffee, vanilla, and fruit....apple...zesty citrus? that turns into a more carameled wood finish. The wood is the flavor maker here and adds the leather and a bitter tanginess that's a nice touch right before the apple and spiciness washes through. It's not hitting a bunch of amazing notes like others at the $150+ price point can, but it's very good. Tried with a few scotch beginners and some lifers at the table who all loved this one. With that said, while I would recommend it I also wouldn't buy another bottle at the $180 I paid.

This is one of my contributions in our little Scottish distilleries sample trading team, specifically to represent an offering from Glenfiddich. You simply can't go wrong with this one, it's safe and elegant, without any rough edges or challenging aromas. Almonds and vanilla greet you as soon as you pop the cork. Palette is elegant eastern spices like nutmeg, cloves and more vanilla. Has no burn. Out of the Glenfiddiches I've tried, this is probably my new favorite ( was XX previously). Very refined, well balanced...austere comes to mind. It's amazing how an extra one year adds to the depth of this Glenfiddich over the 18, which I find rough and almost bland. If you're looking to impress the in-laws over the holidays, this is the gift pop open after a hearty Thanksgiving meal.