Glenfiddich 15yo
Distillery Edition | 51% ABV
Why are you ignoring us?
Because it’s fairly clear why - if we may consider Dramface a pars pro toto for the wider enthusiast’s community - ‘we’ are ignoring you.
After all, there’s little coming out of the mahoosive whisky plant that is Glenfiddich that tends to get us enthusiasts jumping and shouting with excitement. Sure I understand why a single malt as ubiquitous as Glenfiddich 12yo is presented the way it is. There are very few brands and expressions out there that are even close to becoming as synonymous with the concept of single malt whisky as that stag-adorned triangular green bottle, as it literally is everywhere, and it has been everywhere for a very long time.
For years, decades even, it would be the one constant bottle of single malt whisky available in just about any given supermarket you might set foot in. Back in 1963 it was the first ever single malt whisky sold and mass-exported for the sake of single malt and has been the worldwide top selling single malt pretty much ever since. It is arguably the quintessential entry level single malt whisky. There lies its function and where its merit is to be found.
And while I’m sure most of us here will have gone through their fair share of ‘Fiddich 12, once things got more ‘serious’, soon it would be a case of ‘been there, done that, not in a hurry to do it again tomorrow’.
But this pretty much applies to most of Glenfiddich’s core range, which, while decent enough, simply haven’t got enough going for them to keep us excited – on the basis that almost everything that comes out of Glenfiddich is presented at 40% ABV, coloured and chill filtered. Why would you even do that to a 15 or 18 year old single malt whisky, stripping it of its potential glory?
Ergo, we tend to ignore it. If you want to know how ignored Glenfiddich actually is on these pages, I’ll let you guess how many of our 1,000 reviews have covered it so far.
I’ll wait…
Review
Glenfiddich 15yo, ‘Distillery Edition’, one-time Travel Retail exclusive, discontinued, non-chill filtered, 51% ABV
€65 (£55, US$72) paid at auction
This is only the second time we’re giving Glenfiddich some attention here on Dramface, which says it all, really.
That said, there’s no denying that William Grant does, from time to time, make an effort to bring something on the market that might grab enthusiasts’ attention.
The experimental series from a few years back – the XX, the IPA and the Fire & Cane expressions- spring to mind. A somewhat more, if not obscure, then certainly a less visible, release is their 15 yo ‘Distiller’s Edition’. Offered at 51% ABV at an interesting price point, it’s been around since about 2007. Usually as a Travel Retail (GTR) expression, but was, as far as I can tell, eventually discontinued again in 2020.
I only ever found one in a local store, years ago (I think it must’ve been 2017 or 2018), and as it was about €50 if memory serves me right, I couldn’t not bring it home. I remember it being quite nice, albeit not fantastic, but definitely delivering for what I paid for it, only to never see it again afterwards. Which I thought was a pity. So when I saw a bottle popping up at an auction site, I put in a bid and ended up bagging it.
Nose
Apples and pears, and hints of marzipan. Vanilla and honeysuckle, with gentle yet clear citrus notes and a touch of granulated sugar sweetness. Biscuity – grainy notes going towards shortbread, making it an almost quintessential and very typical Speysider. It’s anything but complex, but it’s very well delivered, inviting and very easy-going. Adding a drop of water brought out a gentle wax note, dialling up those orchard notes in the process.
Palate
Gently peppery arrival. A bit of a thin mouthfeel despite the respectable ABV and lack of chill filtering. Again that sweet mixture of sugar, biscuit and orchard fruit notes. Unpretentious, and what it lacks in terms of complexity, it makes up for by being absolutely enjoyable and welcoming. With water added I found it slightly more complex as more spice notes emerged, before leaving on a nice clinging, drying-peppery finish. Overall, with all those prominent orchard notes, it leans more towards something like a Glen Grant than a Glenfiddich 12.
The Dregs
‘Perfectly nice’ is probably the best way to describe this whisky and I’m glad to have it in the cabinet again.
While this isn’t earth shattering or super impressive stuff, I still feel it’s a bit of a pity Glenfiddich decided to drop this. You’d think that with an annual production capacity of 21 million litres, there’d be plenty of room for expressions like this.
While bearing a similar age statement, this is miles ahead of the standard 40% 15 yo solera. Everything about this – the combo of American and European oak, the 15 year old age statement, the decent ABV, the fact that it’s non chill filtered… makes this whisky a far better and far more reliable representative than almost any of the current core range. It’s a glimpse of what Glenfiddich can be, and has to offer.
I know, as stated in the build-up of this review, that catering to and aiming for the enthusiast’s nod of approval isn’t what Glenfiddich are about or interested in, by and large. With William Grant pushing Balvenie into the premium market segment and mostly aiming for brand penetration in as many markets as possible when it comes to Glenfiddich, implying 40% ABV expressions, I even understand why and how this might not ‘fit’ in their portfolio.
They simply don’t ‘need’ us enthusiasts to reach their goals and targets. Which is of course a totally valid and reasonable strategy. But in a way it stings somewhat; they introduced something that would satisfy slightly more demanding and dedicated, yet critical, customers, only to eventually decide we can’t have it anymore.
Luckily, for now, there seems to be enough around on secondary to grab these for decent prices. It doesn’t merit the higher price point some stores charge for this purely because it's a discontinued bottle, but if you can get your hands on this through auction for anywhere around 60 quid, I reckon it's a decent bang for your buck whisky and worth the punt.
And honestly, when did you last have a sip of anything Glenfiddich?
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EA