Glenfiddich 14 Year Rich Oak

I'm a genuine believer that Glenfiddich--as a distillery--doesn't get the love it deserves from the whisky snobs. It's damning with faint praise to say so, but there's no one out there who does non-craft presentation single malts better than them. And when they put their mind to it (as with the cask-strength 15 Distillery Edition) they can be *brilliant*. But I have to admit, this one--finished in new oak--just didn't work for me. Colour is strangely orange. Smell is off-brand orange soda, tropical fruits (mango, papaya), artificial sweetener, sawdust, lumber, stale beer. Vanilla and pear that occasionally start to mesh into a fruity, yogurt-y creaminess. White grape, floral, and then something like a throat lozenge? It's a bit all over the map. The taste is light and a bit thin--no surprise at 40%--with lots of sweetness. Pears, apples, peaches, more orange soda, melon, cinnamon. There's a distant resemblance to bourbon (credit the new oak), but it's nebulous. Lemon Lifesavers. But the sweetness goes dry pretty quickly, leaving some bitterness, something metallic, and a hint of fried plantain chips (?). A short finish of bitterness, chalky vanilla, and fruits. I wanted to like this whisky more than I did, but then again, I'm generally not crazy about "new oak" finishes. It's decent enough, but I'd happily take the (cheaper) 15 Solera over this particular experiment

After being pleasantly surprised by my first Christmas gift a few days back (Glenfiddich 12 year old), I could hardly wait to sample this one: the Glenfiddich Rich Oak (14 year old). The nose was moderate sweet, and indeed a bit oaky, but very inviting. Rather full on the palate, it was a bit more woody than the 12 year old, and I even imagine that I can taste both the European and American oak, be it nicely blended together with some hints of vanilla/brown sugar, or perhaps honey? The finish lasted surprisingly long, especially the vanilla flavour, and some spices. It's a tough call, but I even seem to like it just a tad more than the Glenfiddich 12 year old, wich I like very much, but was a teeny bit more acidic. Makes me curious about the other Glenfiddich expressions, though... :)

Nose: full, very soft, sweet, round, maple syrup, lots of vanilla, lots of honey, apercut, lots of peaches, some dry fruit, raisins. With water a little sour in the back, Palate: soft, round, slightly oily, sweet, vanilla, honey, bourbon like character, nutty, lots of mellow sweet and spiced oak, a hint of bitterness in the end Finish: long, sweet, nutty, bourbon, honey

Specially selected virgin Spanish and American oak casks release extra layers of aroma and flavour in this whisky. Pouring medium amber, expect aromas of caramel, toffee, vanilla, new oak and a touch of orange peel; warm oaky flavours with toffee and creamy vanilla on a smooth palate are balanced by a lightly spiced finish.

★★★★ Une belle surprise. Il est rare que j'aime ce genre de whisky, mais ici, les saveurs boisées qui nous enrobent la bouche sont si puissantes et insoutenables qu'elle nous donne quelques frissons. On aime quand des whiskys nous déstabilisent et c'est exactement ce qui est arrivé ici.

Definitely very oak forward. Dryer when compared to the standard Glenfiddich but still smooth with added spice and smoke. Still easy to drink though. At 40% ABV it does taste a bit flat but then again Glenfiddich has always been like that. Not bad but not impressed either.