Glenfiddich Fire & Cane

Review #043 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 43% Comments: NAS, made with peated barley, ex-bourbon maturation and finished in ex-rum casks, experimental series #04 Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Russet color. Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form. Nose: 16/20 Honey, smoke, and green apples mostly. Continued nosing also yields sticky raisins and molasses. Palate: 27/40 Charcoal and heavily burnt toast stand out most. There’s also cinnamon, hints of red apple, toffee, and vanilla, maybe a little asphalt too. Finish: 28/40 Short finish. Starts with a big puff of campfire smoke, but it doesn’t last long. Gives way to some chili peppers, then turns salty before ending with mild bites of vanilla. With Water: A drop of water brings some additional brown sugar sweetness and grapefruit citrus to the palate, but also reduces the smokiness of the finish. Total: 71/100 Final thoughts: I wasn’t impressed with the last Glenfiddich experimental bottle I picked up (IPA Cask) but I saw this one on the shelf at a clearance price that was too good to pass up so I rolled the dice on it. It doesn’t make for an impressive dram but it’s definitely drinkable and was a good value for the price I paid. It went down easy when a friend of mine broke into it with me the other night and there’s not much left now… Price: $35 Would recommend: no Would buy: maybe Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Nose: Sweet, rounded smoke, reminiscent of Caol Ila but without the maritime notes. Honey, toffee apple, and something citrus but not quite lemon - lemongrass maybe? Palate: Sweet smokey arrival, light peat on the palate with a trace of fruitiness (sultanas?), honey and vanilla. The texture is good. Finish: Medium. Smoke, salted caramel. The length is entirely due to the smoke. Otherwise it would be quite short. A very easy drinking smoky whisky with no sour or rubbery notes at all. The palate is a little one dimensional but perfectly acceptable. I did not notice anything much in the way of rum influence other than some honey and caramel notes, and it was refreshing to come across a subtle rum cask whisky. I’m not sure how big a role the smoke plays in modulating the rum. I admit I approached this with suspicion for some reason, being prepared to hate it, but I found myself liking it after all. Tasted on the Keith and Dufftown Railway “Dram Tram”, Sunday 5th May 2024. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

„The whisky that will divide you.“ The bottle and the label are fun and pretty to look at. A little booklet at the bottle neck tells us the story behind it. This whisky is supposed to be smoky and sweet at the same time. Or one at a time? Or either without the other? Glenfiddich asks us on the label: „What do you get?“. Maybe my nose was not in shape today: But I didn‘t get that much smoke nor that much sweetness. After a while - yes - a bit of both elements are there in the nose allright. But it is not a bomb of fire & cane, more of a slightly burnt marshmallow. The palate was a bit spicy, with pepper and chilli. Not that smooth. Not very malty or sweet. Funnily, it reminds me on some Highland Park 18 yo … with which I still have some issues… An ok dram, not bad. Interresting, but not very emotional . I was happy to taste it, but it is not my favorite bottle on the shelf.

Winter holidays comes more than once a year thanks to Glenfiddich’s fire and cane. A sweet Winters eve, you are enjoying a candy cane by the fire. The flavour is both sweet and Smokey, with subtle fruit offerings. The nose is a complex delight, candy cane and raisins with soft peat smoke peat notes. The palate continues the sweet note, candy cane opens the door followed by apple & pear with a cinnamon stick. The finish brings some chilli pepper and peat with the candy cane remaining throughout. This bottle surprised me, offering a wide variety of flavour that somehow play very nicely together.

I’m a sucker for a whiskey marked as “sale”. I’ve bought my fair share of dogs because of this. This whiskey is not one of those. These are neck pour notes. NOSE: Phenols, and hints of BBQ meats and smoke, general sweetness, honey, tropical fruits, toffee, baking spices and malt. PALATE: Round, semi sweet, viscous and rich, malt, tropical fruit sweetness, general spiciness, honey, caramel, and vanilla. FINISH: Pretty long for 43 abv, spice and sweetness . A pretty good blending of peat and rum IMO.

I tried ...I really did. This is a bomb of perfume and soap for me. At times I can get some malt and a bit of smoke but no....just no. It verges on undrinkable imo plus the ridiculous price of over $50. I let it air out with bottle open for some time but it is still laundry detergent. I honestly hope I got a bad bottle but no way in hell I would chance it again......55/100.......Not sure if this can be mixed to hide the soap but dont care anymore as I feel screwed at price paid........ymmv