A Thank You from Scotland to the United States

Glenfiddich Bourbon Barrel Reserve 14 Year Old
Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside (Dufftown: 57.454N, -3.129W)
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Strength: 43% ABV (86° Proof)
Color: Unknown
Filtration: Unknown
Maturation: 14 years in ex-Bourbon and finished for an unknown duration in new charred American oak
Price: $51.99 (Released exclusively in the United States of America)

Tl;dr summary - Consistently enjoyable pour after pour, this is a malt that exceeded my expectations from the get-go. While hallmark bourbon notes are found throughout the experience, there is never any doubt as to this whisky’s malted barley foundation. A zero-hesitation purchase at its current retail price that genuinely has a decent amount of headroom before I’d feel even the slightest bit of pause in carrying a bottle to the checkout lane.

As I mentioned previously, thus far in 2021 I have not consumed all that much whisky. My alcohol indulgences have primarily centered on non-distilled variations, particularly wine. This trend, combined with my preference to not consume varying alcohol variants within a small window of time has resulted in me enjoying a glass of water rather than a glass of whisky when I normally would do so. That being said, my whisky consumption has not been zero which brings me to this surprising bottle from the fine folks at Glenfiddich.

Truth be told, this bottle of Glenfiddich’s 14-year sat in my whisky stash for almost two years before I finally ‘rediscovered’ it thanks in part to one of my pandemic-inspired cleaning and organizing sessions. Upon rediscovery and reading the bottle’s packaging, a jolt of familiarity shot through the old noggin: this Glenfiddich had very similar attributes to a Balvenie I posted about back in 2019. 

On paper, these malts are staggeringly comparable to each other - both bottled at 43%, both spending their age-stated number of years in ex-bourbon casks then finished for a number of weeks in a brand new charred American oak barrel. Those new barrels that both Glenfiddich and Balvenie use coincidentally come from the same producer - the Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky. Lastly and most curiously, both whiskies are produced at distilleries that are not only next-door neighbors, but also siblings as they are owned and operated by the same parent company - William Grant & Sons.

Just a wee stroll down the road

While Glenfiddich and Balvenie are indeed neighbors, it’s Balvenie that is the little brother of the family, at least in regard to output. Featuring 11 stills producing ~5.5 million litres of whisky per year, Balvenie is certainly a respectably sized distillery, but it’s Glenfiddich and its 32 stills gushing out ~13 million litres of annual output that lands that distillery in the gargantuan category, easily overshadowing its brother just to the north. Unsurprisingly, given its immense output, Glenfiddich is consistently the #1 single malt scotch producer in terms of worldwide annual sales. Don’t fret for poor ole Balvenie though, in terms of brand prestige and market perception, it’s Balvenie that is considered the posh sibling in this relationship, with it’s releases typically commanding a handsome premium over those from Glenfiddich. 

What I find particularly bemusing though is how it came to be that William Grant & Sons greenlit a very similar whisky concept/release from each of their distilleries. I wonder what the motivation was? Beyond that, the burning question obviously is how Balvenie’s 12-year Sweet Toast of American Oak compares to Glenfiddich’s 14-year Bourbon Barrel Reserve. Is there enough differentiation to justify the separate offerings? Despite being two years younger, the Balvenie costs ~$25 more than the Glenfiddich, is the Balvenie luxury tax warranted or does the bigger brother provide both better value and enjoyment? All valid questions my friends, but the answers will have to wait for the following post. For now, this post is focused on my impressions of the Glenfiddich.

Nose

Barley sugar, vanilla, toasted sugar. A bit of ethanol punch. Sweet. Fresh orange with some time in the glass. Whispers of clove and nutmeg also appear fashionably late to the smelling party.

Taste

Gentle alcohol prickle, nothing too harsh. Brown sugar, vanilla, pleasant sweetness, gentle oak spice. Soft mouth feel. Sips perfectly well just as it pours from the bottle, I do not see the need to add water here. There are no harsh edges to this malt, the alcohol and oak are well controlled, present but not biting.

Finish

Medium length and beginning to flirt with a long finish. Oak, brown sugar sweetness, cinnamon replaces the clove and nutmeg.

Overall

To be honest, I entered into this pour with low expectations. I was anticipating a gimmicky mass produced offering from a gigantic whisky producer. Something that while not offensive was also not memorable. Whoo boy, how wrong I was. Granted, I doubt this malt will be making many major ‘top-10’ type lists, but at its price point, Glenfiddich has in my opinion over-delivered with its 14-year Bourbon Barrel Reserve. The bourbon influence is unmistakable, but the whisky always stays true to its malted barley origins, you never forget you are drinking a Scottish Single Malt. There is zero oak astringency and zero tannic-drying yet all the positive attributes of oak influence are retained - barrel char, baking spices, vanilla, brown sugar. I would be interested to pour a sample of this for someone who prefers bourbon to scotch. I doubt this malt will inspire them into flipping their preference, but I do think they would enjoy this whisky more than they expected going in.

When it comes to whisky reviews, I much prefer to read about impressions and tasting notes rather than numerical scores. Assigning a specific number to a whisky as an assessment always seems woefully arbitrary and a bit silly to me. There is however one criteria that I think speaks loudly to the quality and satisfaction that a whisky delivers - would you purchase a second bottle? To that question, my reply for Glenfiddich’s 14-year Bourbon Barrel Reserve is a resounding yes. This is a Single Malt that does not wreak havoc on your wallet, delivers a quality experience from beginning to end, and, if you are shopping in the United States, is readily available on retail shelves wherever Scotch whisky is sold.

Coming up next, we’ll see how Glenfiddich’s fancy-pants little brother stacks up and who knows what surprise guests will show up to the tasting party!