My take on Glenfiddich 15 yo Solera Reserve

It's been a few weeks since my last post. The reason for that is that I was busy traveling, and I also brought something home from that travel, which will certainly feature in a later post on this blog. Stay tuned!  ;-)

Before my travel I summarized the experiences I made with my starting line-up, so by now I feel ready to dive deeper into the wide world of whiskies. And to get started with such an endeavor, once more, Glenfiddich provides me with a solid entry that is reasonably priced. After the basic ensemble featuring a no-age-statement whisky, a 10 year old, and two 12 year olds, I wanted to venture a little bit further into the direction of older whiskies, and the next step in the Glenfiddich line-up is the 15 year old. Since older whiskies are in general also more expensive to buy, especially a beginner has to be a bit more careful, but the 15 yo Glenfiddich cost me actually still less than the Laphroaig Quarter Cask, or the Macallan 12 yo. Therefore, I could buy it at relatively low risk, and it makes for a nice direct comparison with the Glenfiddich 12 yo, in order to figure out what whiskies might gain from being that bit older.

The 15 year old Glenfiddich carries the subtitle "Solera Reserve". This refers to the procedure for blending different casks to the final product, which was traditionally used in the production of sherry. The point there is apparently that the vat used for blending is always kept at least half full, which is supposed to guarantee a more consistent quality. With such a high volume product as Glenfiddich single malt whisky, however, I suspect that this has no significant advantage, and the printing on the bottle is more or less just a marketing stunt.

Anyway, I expected from this that it gives me some idea of what 3 more years of maturation can give to a whisky, especially when comparing it to the 12 year old version that I tried before, so here it goes:

Nose: There is still the fresh green apple smell that I recognize from the 12 yo, but it is more subtle and paired with some sweeter notes of ripe, juicy fruit. Side by side with the younger brother, I realize that the aroma is much more toned down and soft.

Taste: Very soft arrival, developing slight sherry and honey notes, paired with vanilla. This is markedly different from the sharp taste of the 12 yo. After a few moments in the mouth, it becomes more dry and some bitterness from the oak wood comes through, although this is not unpleasant.

Finish: Medium length, leaves a bittersweet afterglow in the mouth that fades out a bit too quickly.

Bottom line: This version of Glenfiddich has certainly a different mixture of casks that are used in blending than the 12 yo - I sense more sweet sherry influence. However, it unmistakably remains related to its younger brother. The extra maturation time seems to take the alcoholic sharpness out of the spirit, that was still very prominent in the 12 yo, but is completely absent in the 15 yo. It still is no wonder in complexity, and I have tasted more complex whiskies already in my starting line-up, but it is a well made, rounded whisky that can be a nice everyday dram.
  + affordable price, round and mellow taste
  - getting a bit bland after a while

Slàinte mhath!