Two powerful Glenfiddich


January 18, 2023

Two powerful Glenfiddich

One fairly recent indie bottling (well, it was bottled four years ago) plus one older official that we haven't properly tasted yet. How does that sound? Glenfiddich, together with Glenlivet, has currently got the largest capacity in Scotland, with 21Mio litre pure alcohol (LPA) per annum. Amazing.

(French magazine ad, 2005. 'Give a Scot water, he will make a 12 years old'. It's that silmple!)

Known As Hector MacBeth 21 yo 1997/2018 (53.6%, The First Editions, Blended Malt, refill hogshead, cask #HL15544, 342 bottles)

A blended malt and a single cask, while blended single casks remain pretty rare out there. A little bird (always the same) told me this was Wardhead, which is 'teaspooned' Glenfiddich, although teaspoons remain rare as well in Scottish warehouses and blending/filling stations. Let's see if we find pears and glue… Colour: gold. Nose: we do find some pears and apples, as well as a little model glue indeed, but time will bring more breads and cakes, malt, oats and cider. Very 'natural middle-aged Glenfiddich at cask strength' indeed. With water: opens up on IPA, citrusy hops, touches of celeriac and fennel, plus a very lovely natural vanilla and a little honey. Pretty classy. Mouth (neat): malty arrival, with some Ovaltine and some butterscotch, but some tension remains in the background, with some rawish eaux-de-vie, kirschwasser, apple spirit (which isn't obligatorily bland!) and just bread. With water: oranges coming in, also a faint bitterish rubber. Leaves and leather. Finish: rather long, slightly sour. Leafy aftertaste. Comments: I liked the nose better when reduced, and the palate better when neat, which is a little touchy when tasting. But we're big boys and girls…
SGP:461 - 85 points.

The older OB…

Glenfiddich 1987 '125th Anniversary' (49.3%, OB, cask #20043, 250 bottles, 2013)

The attendees of the 125th Anniversary dinner were presented with this bottle, so it's pretty rare. Please note that we were not at that dinner as there was a lost episode of Inspektor Derrick on cable TV at the very same time. Of course we weren't invited ;-). This was distilled and filled on Christmas day, so on Dec 25, 1987. There were other commemorative bottlings, such as one at 43% vol., but they were not the same. Colour: full gold. Nose: a little more depth, more herbal teas, some camphor, old walnuts, menthol, eucalyptus, old 'vicar's' apples and some kind of vegetal smoke, garden bonfire… Some green lemons too, rhubarb… In short, there's a lot of freshness in this one. Mouth: lovely citrusy arrival, then a long development on the same tart apples and pears. A rather surprising profile which would make some of us think of Rosebank at times. Finish: medium, still very fresh but with more classic cakey notes. Some green peppercorns in the aftertaste. Comments: a rather prandial bottling indeed. I would imagine oysters, langoustines, lobster…
SGP:551 - 87 points.

I agree, that was not a very useful session, but stay tuned…

Check the index of all Glenfiddich we've tasted so far