Glenfiddich at both ends


July 23, 2025

Glenfiddich at both ends

It had been a while since we last tasted Glenfiddich! Hard to believe that when I first sampled single malts – in an “American-style” bar in Burgundy – the only ones available were Cardhu (with the white label) and Glenfiddich; the rest were still virtually unknown! But I know, that was ages ago... Anyway, today we’re going to taste a recent version of the famous 12-year-old, followed by a more prestigious release that did come out last year. Sound good? By the way, no Wardhead (teaspooned Glenfiddich) in the stash at the moment, are they still circulating? Oh and Glenfiddich are apparently sponsoring Aston Martin in F1 these days, they have even just launched a celebratory co-branded 65 yo 1959 into Harrods, 79,000.00 £GB (I mean a bottle of whisky, not a car). After Bowmore, it would seem Aston Martin have taken quite a liking to a broad selection of whisky brands lately…

Glenfiddich 12 yo ‘Our Original Twelve’ (40%, OB, +/-2025)

We last sampled this humble 12 back in 2018, and it wasn’t bad at all (WF 83). Colour: gold. Nose: maltier and greener than expected, with sharp wee green apples all over the place—utterly unmistakable. Then come the expected pears, melon rind, buttery croissants (mais bien sûr), and a touch of freshly cut grass. Hints of young oak and a whisper of liquorice wood flicker in the background. All very pleasant, really, with a rather charming Proustian quality about it. Mouth: yes, fresh again, with a delightful wee acidity, rather fine light oak, and once more those just-under-ripe apples and pears. These add a welcome brightness, lifting the whole and keeping any sluggishness well at bay. A dainty shard of shortbread too. Finish: not exactly the longest of finishes, but in this case the modest 40% vol. isn’t too much of a handicap. A few zesty notes help bridge the gap left by the missing watts. Some clean peppermint in the aftertaste. Comments: I see no reason to downgrade this fresh and chirpy little malt—utterly easy-going and faultless in its own right. Still very pleased with it, even… decades on from my first ‘fiddich!
SGP:551 - 83 points.

Just as an anecdote, on my first trip to Scotland, I was also served Glenfiddich, but at the time it was almost mandatory to drown it in ginger tonic or other questionable fizzy drinks. Anyway...

Glenfiddich 31 yo ‘Grand Château’ (47.6, OB, 2024)

Roughly 2,000 bottles, according to an AI—I know, I know. Oddly enough, this elderly wee creature was finished in Bordeaux rouge casks for no fewer than 9 years, so technically we’re looking at proper double-maturation. At nearly 2,000 Euros a bo', one sincerely hopes said Bordeaux—labelled ‘rare’ by the brand—was from a 1st Grand Cru Classé. Colour: somewhere between salmon and apricot. Nose: the wine’s influence makes itself known straight away, with vineyard peaches, upmarket sangria (but of course), blackcurrant jelly and blackberry jam, all neatly draped over a tray of pastries, scones, blueberry muffins and the like. Gentle touches of liquorice and mint lend a civilised air to the whole. It’s very much a winesky, but one of the haute-couture kind on the nose, no doubt. But when, oh when, will the invasion of red fruits in malt whisky finally come to an end? Mouth: here we drift a little closer to the malt again, with blood oranges, a touch of gunpowder (presumably from a bit of S******, quite unobtrusive), reminiscent of many an ex-sherry. Then come cherry pie with honey, pepper, cinnamon, and something frankly akin to mulled wine, with brown sugar, star anise, cloves, and more cinnamon. Finish: rounded and pâtissier, with a surprising rum-raisin and old ratafia character in the afterglow. Comments: there’s clearly a broad blended aspect here, or even something mildly trans in character, but one cannot deny it’s very well put together, and of course a bit of open-mindedness goes a long way. Now then, which Grand Château was it really?
SGP:651 - 86 points.

The question, naturally, remains: is a bottle of Grand Château really worth forty-five bottles of the 12-year-old? I’ll let you decide... Oh and after thorough research, it turns out that the name of the Bordeaux château used to finish the Glenfiddich 31-year-old "Grand Château" has not been publicly disclosed, neither by the brand, nor by the château.

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