A Wee Dram Favoured by a Sassenach (Glenfiddich Special Reserve 12 Year Old)

Member Name: marandina

Product:	Glenfiddich Special Reserve 12 Year Old
Date:	31/01/07 (1859 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fabulous taste, great brand

Disadvantages: Might be a bit strong for some

Whisky drinkers conjure up all kinds of images. From retired, bumbling drunken characters from the Paul Whitehouse school of comedy genius to Injuns drinkin’ the ‘ole fire water whilst the cowboys steal their guns. I’d like to think that I don’t fit into either category but then you never know how metaphorically people may view you. The truth in all of this is I like whisky. If I’m honest, I’m hardly a connoisseur and this is made obvious by my rather uncouth longing for blended whisky as opposed to malt. However, when given malt as a gesture of friendship or even as a gift for a special occasion then I’m hardly likely to look a gift horse in the mouth and that’s exactly the position I’m in post-Christmas with a wonderful bottle of Glenfiddich Special Reserve 12 Year Old.

For anyone unsure of the difference between blended and malt whisky (and why should you?) then blended generally has a ratio of malt to grain of 60% grain to 40% malt where the percentage of malt used will determine the quality and smoothness of taste and character. Each whisky used in the blending process will normally have been matured for about 5 years, however there are a number of higher aged blended scotch whiskies available. Single malt whiskies are the product of one specific distillery and has not been mixed with whisky from any other distilleries. Single malt Scotch is distilled in a pot using malted barley as the only grain ingredient. As with any Scotch whisky, a Single Malt Scotch must be distilled in Scotland and matured in wood for at least three years (in our case - 12 years). "Malt" indicates that the whisky is distilled from a single "malted" grain and "single" indicates that all the malts in the bottle comes from a single distillery.

Glenfiddich was realized in 1886 when William Grant bought some land near the river Fiddich in Speyside right in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. The distillery that was built there produced it’s first malt whisky one year later. In 1905 the operation expanded overseas to Canada and the US. Over the ensuing years, Glenfiddich has become synonymous with the finest of malt whiskies and the 12-Year-Old is one of the most popular of the Glenfiddich product range. With a string of awards including more Gold Medals than any other manufacturer at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in 2005, Glenfiddich retains its quality brand association that drives demand and keeps its price high. Curiously, this 12-year-old tipple wasn’t exported to England until 1963! Glenfiddich Special Reserve 12 Year Old is the world’s favourite single malt whisky available in over 180 countries around the world and is the only Highland single malt to be distilled, matured and bottled at its own distillery.

And so for the taste. Well, I like my whisky neat and unencumbered but most folks drink it with a drop of water to taste or even orange as whisky can be quite sharp when you aren’t used to it. Others prefer a drop of lemon or maybe ice too; whichever it is, drinks like Glenfiddich should be savored in a whisky tumbler sat in front of a log fire, out on the banks of a Scottish river or simply whilst in company and probably after a nice meal. I generally go for the last option as I don’t have a log fire or live in Scotland. *rolls eyes* Whisky is designed for sipping rather than anything more brusque and woe betide anyone getting hammered on whisky as you will know about it in the morning (NOT recommended bearing in mind it‘s 40% abv). As you take a sip of your fire water, you will notice a hint of pear followed by the distinctive flavour of rich fruit, subtle pine and a hint of peatiness. With most whiskies you will get a long, lingering and rounded aftertaste and for the uninitiated, this is usually observed by a shudder when you aren’t used to it. Personally, I love the initial kick you get from a wee dram although malt is a more subtle drink than its blended cousins like Jameson’s and Famous Grouse (I like both of those brands too). The peatiness in the taste differentiates the various malt whiskies from the different parts of Scotland according to the water/soil that played a part in the distillation process of the whisky.

Glenfiddich 12-Year-Old Special Reserve is available in most supermarkets, off-licenses and from the optics in many pubs. The bottles are beautifully designed in incandescent green bottles with the famous Glenfiddich logo including a picture of a stag just above the brand name. The bottle will be inside a predominantly black cardboard tube decked out in the corporate livery to retain the brand identity as well as keeping it attractive to purchase. Prices will vary for a 750ml bottle and is advertised as £22.99 from the Glenfiddich web site. As ever it pays to shop around and see if you can snare a wee bargain for yer bottle full o’ drams. Glenfiddich is the Scottish King of the malt whiskies and for whisky drinkers, an essential brand and drinking experience. For everyone else it’s an acquired taste but once you’ve acquired it, you won’t want to let go.

Thanks for reading

Mara

More info at: http://uk.glenfiddich.com/enjoy/range/special_res. html

Summary: Overview of Glenfiddich Special Reserve 12 Year Old