[WHISKY TASTING] Glenfiddich - Style Icon And #1 Malt Whisky in The World 💧

William Grant & Sons is the world's largest family-owned drink company. It has managed to retain its independence since it was founded in Dufftown in 1886 when the then 47-year-old William Grant realized his life's dream and started the first distillery of the family. William Grant & Sons has had an enormous impact on the Scotch whisky industry. With the launch of the Glenfiddich Straight Malt in 1963, they practically invented the market for single malt whisky, and they also were the first to understand the importance of unique design, profiling, guided tours and cask finishing. Today, William Grant & Sons own five distilleries: Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Kininvie, Aisla Bay and Girvan.

It was Glenfiddich that paved the way and taught a whole world to drink single malt. Prior to the 60s almost no whisky company tried to sell single malt outside Scotland. Glenfiddich rapidly acquired a top position in the world market. Today, about 15 percent of all single malt in the world is sold by Glenfiddich, which makes the whisky the undisputed number one in the world. The 12 Year Old that we'll be tasting today is the real big seller. The uniquely designed triangular bottle, which was born in 1961, has become somewhat of a style icon. Glenfiddich means Valley of the Deer in Gaelic, hence the stag in the logo.

Nearly 12 million bottles of Glenfiddich are sold worldwide every year. The capacity is huge (12 million liters of spirits per year), and it's needed, since Glenfiddich is also an important part of Grant's blended whisky's. The distillery is one of Scotland's most visited and if you go on a tour you can view the impressive amount of 28 stills. It's like entering copper still heaven.

What's unique with Glenfiddich is that they are one of the few distilleries that handles the entire process from malting to bottling, and they are the only distillery in the Highland and Speyside regions that bottle their whisky at the distillery. They even have their own cooperage.

Something else that's unique is that they use something they call "marrying tuns", which are basically huge barrels within which they mature all their different whisky's,  successively, for six months before bottling. These barrels have a volume of around 2000 liters, which exceeds the strict rules and limits of how much a barrel used for maturing can carry, which is 700 liters. This means that the six extra months in these marrying tuns doesn't count as maturation time. So if you buy a 12 yo Glenfiddich you can be happy to know that it has really been resting in a barrel for 12.5 years.

Glenfiddich 12 yo

Besides the marrying tuns, the Glenfiddich 12 has been matured in sherry casks, first-fill bourbon barrels and non-first-fill bourbon barrels.

ABV: 40%
Age: 12 yo
Region: Speyside
Price: ~30-40 USD / 0.7L

👁 Appearance: Gold

🐽 Nose: Citrus, butterscotch, oak, plenty of sherry, honey, apple juice and a slight herbal note. With a few drops of water (be careful though, since it's only 40%) floral notes of heather. The citrus notes become less distinct. Fresh thyme and mint.

👅 Palate: A very velvety and buttery mouth-feel. The first thing that hits me is exotic fruit, such as papaya and mango. Then orange and lemon zest. After a while in the mouth the mouth-feel becomes much more dry and oaky, with lovely sherry notes. There is also something that reminds me of bergamot and Earl Grey tea. The butterscotch from the nose is also there, alongside with pears and a slight herby bitterness. The herbaceous notes increase with adding water.

🏁 Finish: Quite dry and medium-long. Some medicinal and bitter notes that linger.

💡 Conclusion: An excellent whisky for those who want to experience a gentle and easy to drink single malt that is still full of flavors and quite complex. Also a whisky for those who want to try a real classic, a pioneering model and trendsetter. The smoothness and the exotic fruit profile of the palate should enchant and appeal to any beginner of single malt whisky. 85/100.

If you have any whisky related questions don't be afraid of asking! I'll do my best to answer them. Cheers, or as they say in Scotland: Sláinte!

— SteemSwede

You can find my other whisky reviews here:

Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique, 2016
Caol Ila 12 yo
Linkwood 26 yo
Glenfarclas 105
Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or
Glenlivet 18 yo
Talisker 18 yo
anCnoc Rascan
Glenfarclas 17 yo
Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1
Octomore 5.1 & 6.2