So we’ve always been a bit apprehensive of the Fiddich, namely because while they deserve the store presence they often get and are by no measure have made a bad whiskey, they’ve always been – just slightly above average. It seems though just a few extra years of aging allows it to set itself apart though.
When you look for a single malt, it’s known that what you get will always be different, but you really just want two things. An amazing taste, and none of the bullshit offness or burn that lesser whiskies get. While this is by no means perfect or even the best whiskey we’ve had it does those two things really well.
What they Say: “Carefully matured for 18 years in the finest Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks built by our own expert coopers. These casks are then nurtured in small batches for a further three months, for a remarkably deep, rich and complex flavor.”
Taste: 8.0 – It’s a soft and sweet and warming taste. It feels like curling up beside a nice fire and honestly it’s one of the better things we’ve had.
Aftertaste: 9.0 – Here you get more of the smoke, what feels like sherry, and more wood. It’s overall though harmonious and we don’t use that word here lightly. Utterly delicious though.
Burn/Smooth: 8.5 – That goes down so smooth it’s offensive. Oh sure there’s a hint of peat and smoke after a while, and it warms your heart like a good lover, but damned if that’s not an easy dram to take.
Aroma: 7.5 – That IS POWER. Honestly, there are some things recently where you have to dig to find the smell. this though it’s hard to find the complexities because it hits out like a truck. The smoke and peat are heavy and it’s frankly delicious.
Honesty: 6.5 – The wank is there – sure. The design, however, is key and helps the Fiiddich along. Sadly it lacks that distinctive blue color of the 14 years,
Mixability: 6.0
W/ Rocks: 6.0 – So it makes it a bit more about the smoke, but you lose so much of the power. It’s more sort of sad actually.
Value: 5.5 – So while it’s not a rocks scotch, there’s no fighting here that this is not giving you what you want when you pay that much. Oh sure a mere 10 dollars shorter and we’d be singing it’s bargain worthiness from the rooftops, but it’s not a bad way to spend 90 bucks.
Google Shop Average: $92
Website: http://www.glenfiddich.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 7.5
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Metric Score: 51/70 |+| Metric Average: 7.28 |+| Reviewer Average: 7.5
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Final Thoughts: It honestly pains us to use such a word as harmonious in a review, feels too much like something a marketing exec said, but honestly by the virtue of smoothness and different barrels it really sings here. Oh sure there are some downsides, and if this was merely different but still as good on rocks we’d be beside ourselves in praise, but forget the 12 years, 15, or the exclusive 14 bourbon barrel – if you are getting fiddich, make sure it’s old enough to vote. (Also hey go vote if you are reading this.)
