For my first review on this website, I thought I’d start off with a bang and review something interesting. I recently wrote down some notes for Glenfiddich 30 Year and figured that this was as good a place as any to start this online journey.
Funny story. This is actually the third time I’ve tried this exact expression. However, this is the very first time I was able to write down/remember any tasting notes. I actually tried this expression twice in one day at the distillery. The first time, I was a part of a very impromptu tasting that had me sampling 4 expressions in about 5 minutes. I essentially chased Glenfiddich 30 with a Glenfiddich 1973 single cask (which was in turn chased with Glenfiddich 40). There was no way I was remembering any one tasting note from that flavor overload. That night, Glenfiddich was picking up the bar tab at the hotel we were staying at. By the time I tried the 30 year again, I was a good 7-8 whiskies deep already. Again, tasting notes escaped me. Luckily, the third time’s the charm and I was finally able to give this wonderful expression the attention it deserved.
This whisky was matured for at least 30 years in both ex-Bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks.
| Category | Notes |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Golden amber |
| Nose | Old wood, spice, leather, licorice, grapes, vanilla, winey, floral, sherry, raisins, citrus fruits. |
| Taste | Oaky, fruitier than the nose suggests, cloves, cinnamon, dried fruits, mulling spices, sherry, floral, honey. The spice balances out really nicely with a creamy vanilla note after several minutes. There’s a slightly sour note that I notice in a lot of Glenfiddich. Sometimes, it’s a turn off. In this case, there’s just a tiny little bit of it and it works well here. |
| Finish | A long spicebomb finish of baking spices atop plenty of wood, caramel, vanilla, dried cherries, and old cigar box. |
| Overall Thoughts | Glenfiddich gets a lot of flak by being an industry leader that sells a LOT of bottles each year worldwide. The core range is mostly bottled at 40% ABV and like Glenlivet, that turns a lot of people off to the rest of the range. I believe this was the first release that Brain Kinsman oversaw himself and I really think he nailed it. This 30 year expression certainly tastes old, but it's not overoaked. Like The Balvenie Tun 1401 and Compass Box: The General, this offering has that big blast of old, spicy, leathery oak that I think makes a whisky shine. Your results may vary, but I really love this stuff. |
| Total Score | 95/100 |
