Glenfiddich 12 years old: a proud flagship malt
My birthday cake was crowned with a mini of the Glenfiddich 12 years old. This bottle probably belongs to the top 5 of most sold single malt whisky in the whole wide world. Indeed, the original parent to all official distillery released expressions. Let us revisit this old classic.
Glenfiddich 12 years old, bottled at 40 % abv
First things first: Matured in oloroso sherry and bourbon casks. Glenfiddich dubs this “Our Original Twelve”. True words! A 2025 expression.
Upon Sipping: Pleasantly light, but besides the obvious vanilla and sawdust influences, there is also a delicate hint of apples and pears. All is as it should be a Glenfiddich, right? Some nuttiness, and a hint of ladies’ perfume. The fruit becomes more pronounced with some breathing. Perfect display of balance. The arrival on the palate is vanilla fresh, with a sour tone of green apples now. It is very clean, with the nuttiness making an appearance on the finish. I had my doubts about the oloroso casks in the mix, but these subtle bitter sensations seem to be a display of it. I have to say, I tasted much weaker single malt at 40 % abv compared to this Glenfiddich, which plays both sides: being extremely accessible and at the same time offers a very decent backbone to the more experienced palate. When you dilute it even further, it becomes creamy sweet, with the nose offering more malted content.
Word to the Wise: A proud flagship single malt for Glenfiddich, as well as the whole single malt whisky segment. This is a nice surprise to hide in blind tastings! Quality has really gone up over the last 20 years.
Score: 83 points.