headlessparrot's Full Review: Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch 15 Year Solera
Ask a layman about brands of Scotch whisky, and you're likely to get one of two responses – though I've never conducted such a study, I'd be willing to hazard a small wager on its accuracy. The names that you're most likely to hear are (and probably in this order), Johnnie Walker and Glenfiddich. The first of these is an obvious selection, for Johnnie Walker in all its incarnations is far and away the best selling Scotch in the world, peddling some 120 million bottles a year to more than two-hundred nations. The Walker line-up are, of course, blended Scotch whiskies (aside from their Green Label, which, though technically a 'pure malt' is still, for all intents and purposes a blend, albeit a more restricted one), and given this figure it is no surprise that blended Scotch accounts for more than 90% of world Scotch whisky sales (a tragically high figure in this reviewer's humble opinion, but I will try to resist editorializing on the matter). The remaining 10% are, as logic therefore dictates, single malt Scotch whiskies. And, in spite of the absolutely vast number of absolutely superb and distinctive single malts being distilled in Scotland today, William Grant & Sons' Glenfiddich is – perhaps even by a greater margin than Johnnie Walker over its blended competitors – by far the best selling. One in every five bottles of single malt Scotch whisky sold in the world bears the name Glenfiddich. And the majority of that is the company's flagship malt, Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Special Reserve (one can't help but wonder if the simple reason for this market dominance is a byproduct of the fact that the 12 Year Old is, by a significant margin, also the most inexpensive single malt on the market).
In any event, one needs only look around to see the world's apparent love affair with Glenfiddich. It is the one and only single malt that is available in every bar, tavern, restaurant or public house that I have ever frequented in my life, its distinctive green-tinged triangular bottle carefully positioned on the top shelf of the establishment's bar. It is perhaps the only single malt brand that actively advertises on television (though they do so far more in the United Kingdom and elsewhere than in North America). But here's the rub: it's just not that good. The 12 Year Old, anyway. Don't get me wrong, I rather like the Glenfiddich 12 Year Old; it's an inexpensive, respectable dram. It's smooth and pleasant, and often unfairly and harshly criticized by some of the more overzealous malt aficionados. But it's also a dram that clearly reflects its low price point, for though it is clearly a single malt, it really does taste like a blend. And it is perhaps this alone, more than anything else, that lends itself to Glenfiddich's lasting popularity. Well, that and their subtly brilliant marketing, something that they've been doing since their whisky first came off the stills on Christmas day, 1887.
So why did I purchase a bottle of Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera Reserve if I was so underwhelmed by their younger bottling? The truth is that I'm not quite sure myself – I had my next single malt purchase narrowed down to The Glenlivet 15 Year Old Fine Oak and this particular bottling, and when I parked myself in front of the Scotch shelf at the local Liquor Control Board of Ontario store, this is the tube and the whisky contained therein that found its way into my hands (and ultimately, into my mouth). I knew that I was after an older expression than I usually purchased (10 to 12 year old whiskies is generally all that I can afford), but I was also seeking out a unique product. The French Oak finish of the Glenlivet's 15 year old expression offered this (and it is certainly still a whisky that I am hellbent on sampling in the near future), but the Glenfiddich Solera Reserve clearly has a more tangible claim on this abstract uniquity that I was seeking, a single malt the result of so much effort, work and careful planning that it could have only come from such a behemoth of a Scotch company as Glenfiddich. For while a huge number of distillers employ the technique of finishing (that is, aging their spirit in a second cask of an alternate variety to impart new flavours – Scotch is generally aged in used American oak casks previously used to hold bourbon; finishing most often employs sherry casks, but also port casks, or new oak casks), only Glenfiddich carries it out on such a grand scale as with their Solera Reserve single malt. And, after a few nosings and tastings, it becomes quickly apparent that the brand's dedication to this extensive and complicated system is not merely marketing hype. Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera Reserve – maybe even in spite of the fact that I half-wanted myself to hate it – is not just a palatable Scotch like its younger brother, but an outstanding one, rich with depth and flavour while still retaining the trademark smoothness of traditional Speyside malts.
There is much to be said about William Grant & Sons, however, for it helps to clear up the somewhat unfair opinion that many malt lovers have about the company's product. While it is certainly true that they've become a giant in the world of Scotch, there's something to be said for the fact that they are still the product of almost rigid tradition. It is not only the only single malt in all of Scotland to use only a single water source (the legendary Robbie Dhu springs; the company even bought 1200 additional acres of land to protect the spring), but also the only Highland whisky to be distilled, matured, and bottled at the same location in Dufftown, Scotland. Furthermore, it is one of the last remaining family-owned Scotch producers, flying in the face of the massive, multinational spirits conglomerates. And, like many of the whisky forefathers, William Grant's story is nearly as interesting as his respectable whisky. After 20 years of saving his annual salary, William Grant purchased a set of second-hand distillery equipment in 1866, with his admirable goal of crafting “the best dram in the valley.” Located in the heart of Speyside (the most famous whisky producing region in all of Scotland), Grant and his family built their new distillery by hand, and on Christmas Day 1887, Glenfiddich first ran from the stills – regardless of how one feels about the brand's quality, it's hard to deny that a legend, at least of sorts, was born on that day.
The company has done quite well for itself since that time, for there is simply no denying the mark that Glenfiddich has had on single malt Scotch whisky – the shapely, triangular bottle (which lends an appearance of height and girth that gives the impression of a bottle that towers over other whiskies) introduced in 1957 has become virtually synonymous with single malts, and the company was the first to sell its products in the tubes that have since become standard to the industry. But most importantly of all, without Glenfiddich – regardless of how one feels about it – the world of whisky would be much different. For it was Grant & Sons who, in the 1960s, responded to hard times domestically by embarking on a risky campaign to introduce the rest of the world to single malt Scotch whisky. This campaign – as evidenced by the brand's 20% market dominance – clearly worked, and has even more clearly paid dividends for the now thriving brand.
What about the whisky, however? Well, while Glenfiddich's flagship 12 Year Old is a solid, if unspectacular whisky, the rest of their line-up certainly deserves a second look, and the 15 Year Old Solera Reserve is no exception. In contrast to the vast majority of distillers who use one type of cask to finish their whisky, Glenfiddich uses three – not just the traditional used oak that all distillers have in common, but also sherry casks and new oak casks. And once the whisky in each of these casks has reached maturity (a minimum of 15 years, in accordance with the brand's age statement), it is further influenced by its marriage in a large Oregon pine vat. As the brand's promotional materials explain, “The Glenfiddich Solera system is unique amongst Scotch whisky distillers. Fifteen-year-old Glenfiddich from three types of casks – traditional American bourbon, Spanish sherry and new oak – is married in a large Solera vat, made of Oregon pine. The vat is always kept at least half full, ensuring a consistent quality of whisky is maintained whenever it is topped up. Then this beautifully balanced single malt is left to settle in a small Solera tun before bottling.”
Some purists would no doubt claim that all of the interference with the whisky during its maturation is a bastardization of true, pure single malt Scotch whisky. But I – though I'll admit a taste for a number of finished whiskies – can only defend Glenfiddich's 15 Year Old Solera Reserve with two words: try it. Bastardization or not, the tampering done by the company's employees has resulted in a luxurious whisky that's not only smooth (exceptionally smooth, more so than any whisky, 15 year old or younger, that I've ever sampled), but paradoxically also quite deep, rich and complex – a treat to drink. If nothing else, Glenfiddich 15 Year Old benefits spectacularly from three extra years of maturation, though I'm inclined to view this new depth and complexity as the result of the so-called “Solera system” rather than simply the time that the whisky spent racked in storage.
Whatever the taste, Glenfiddich certainly wins points for aesthetic quality – the tall tube, rich with detailed notes, is filled with the corked, shapely triangular bottle that sits in the hand so well. It's worth pointing out that the image displayed in the Epinions database is not the Solera Reserve, but rather its younger brother (the Solera's bottle carries somewhat less of a green tint, with the contents and label lending themselves to a shade that lies somewhere between gold, brown, and purple – a correct image can be seen at http://www.thewhiskystore.de/dist/gfiddich/gfidd15sla_2.jpg). The tube also contains a nice glossy fold-out pamphlet that provides details about the Glenfiddich brand and some of its available expressions (most of which are regrettably out of the reach of the common drinker). I am, admittedly, a sucker for the aesthetics of a whisky, before I've even popped the cork – but like I've already said, regardless of the bottle's 'cool factor,' the taste still stacks up remarkably well.
Like any good whisky, Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera Reserve offers up its rich pastiche of flavours best at room temperature, served neat with perhaps just the smallest drop of water. This whisky pours nicely from the bottle into my tumbler, splashing and gently swirling. Because of the variety of woods used, colour doesn't tell us as much about this dram as it would with other whiskies, but it still looks remarkably appetizing; the burnished shade suggests a more mature whisky (and, indeed, at 15 years, this particular dram is at least three years older than most of the whiskies I've looked at critically), though it simultaneously evokes its maturation in sherry casks, with some of the darker hues subtly reflecting hints of Oleroso sherry. Even at 40%, the Glenfiddich 15 Year Old presents with substantial legs; as the tumbler swirls, large and small globs of the drink splash against the inside chamber and thinly coat it, gently and slowly sliding back down into the mass at the bottom. Quite appetizing, this dram almost invites you to nose it and take a deep sip.
In terms of nose, Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera Reserve is similarly quite impressive and appetizing. Without water, the nose offers a subtle world of elegant flavour defined by a rich creaminess and distinct notes of pears and peaches. Gentle peat offers up the memory of distant tobacco smoke, while an ever so slight salty-seaweed (could I be imaging such a note in a Speyside whisky?) reminds me of the distant, faraway ocean waves. Faintly chocolaty at times, but weakly, and somewhere between the bitter chocolate of Glenmorangie's Port Wood Finish and the sweeter fudge of Teacher's Highland Cream. Subtle hints of sherry are well masked, though the new oak definitely shines through (reminding me just slightly of Crown Royal), presenting a woodiness and delicious waft of gentle vanilla. Is that fresh toast? Honey at the forefront, subtly accentuated by the vaguest hint of pineapple and other distant citrus fruit (orange rinds?), as well as a hint of spice, possibly cloves or coriander. Despite the complexity, though, this remains fairly malty, with just a touch caramel. Absolutely exceptionally smooth – no hint of nose prickle or burn to be found, even with the deepest inhalation. It is the fresh fruit, however, that really grab this dram and give it its strengths, though the strong honey, and the quieter vanilla certainly lend themselves to the regal quality of the Solera Reserve's nose. Most of the drams I've enjoyed in the past have either a more indistinct fruit character, or a bouquet of darker fruits; this is the first I've tried that distinctly recalls a number of very fresh, fruits. Rubbing just a splash of the whisky into my palm (as Glenfiddich's website recommends) reveals a hint of dry malt, accented by exceptionally sweet fresh pears. A couple of droplets of water seem to kill the smell, at least for a couple of moments, but it rebounds quickly, offering up even more cream, subtly accented by the fresh pears (and peaches, though the water seems to dull their presence a touch). A bit of heather comes out, and the smokiness is kicked up just a little, as well as some dry white oak. Several moments more and the chocolate character reappears from out of nowhere, this time sweeter, and a bit more at the fore of the nose. Still exceptionally malty and still quite good, but some of the other, more interesting notes are mellowed and masked by the water – this is one that doesn't benefit much from those extra drops, which makes sense given that the Solera Reserve is bottled at the rather-low 40% ABV mark.
The taste, without water, is what you'd expect from the nose. Breathtakingly smooth, as I would expect from a Speyside whisky, the Solera Reserve's fruit bouquet pronounces itself immediately from the starting line, evoking pears and peaches with a healthy creaminess (almost like a fruit yogurt?) that last throughout the taste, accentuated by gentle, distant tendrils of smoke and a faint saltiness. The ever present honey adds an additional sweetness that coats the fruit, as well as the rich maltiness of this whisky. Just a touch of orange, for just a few moments. The honey asserts itself a bit more on the middle and back of the tongue, with just a touch of heather arriving to accompany it. A hint of spices, especially cloves and ginger, the latter of which asserts itself a bit more on the finish. Exceptionally creamy throughout, but especially on the finish, which is medium, but spectacular while it lasts, offering up some rich malt, sherry, and sweet, fresh fruit – but especially creaminess, which this single malt has in spades. The taste, unlike the nose, however, remains quite interesting, even with the addition of a few droplets of water. The faint salty seaweed that I thought I was imagining in the nose actually appears for just a second on the tongue, though it is quickly subverted by the richness of the cream and fresh fruit flavours. It also becomes just a touch spicier, which feels quite nice. And, of course, the Glenfiddich slides gently down the throat, warming not just the throat and the stomach, but the mind and the whole body.
Any way you cut it, Glenfiddich's 15 Year Old Solera Reserve is a superb malt, offering up the perfect trifecta of an exceptional appearance, nose, and taste. It's a wonderfully smooth whisky (which regrettably may actually turn off some of the more hardened single malt fans), but also a wonderfully flavourful one that I will be coming back to time and time again. And while – at about $60 Cdn. for 750mL/26oz. - it's not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, it is considerably less expensive than not just other 15 year old whiskies, but many 10 and 12 year olds as well. It's a shame that this isn't the expression of Glenfiddich carried at most bars, because it simply shames its younger brother – and that's saying a lot, since the 12 Year Old is a respectable standard by any definition. Definitely worth a try, especially for those who have made a hobby out of disparaging the brand.
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