We asked our readers for some ideas of what they wanted to see on the blog and one of the suggestions was whiskies that you can buy from the supermarket when you are picking up your sugar puffs. Luckily enough, we had a Twitter Tasting last Wednesday that featured a couple of drams that fit that bill. So here is our first in a series of Supermarket Drams.
Glenfiddich is a brand that I have to be honest and say I have completely ignored till now. When asked why, during the Twitter tasting, I wasn’t sure, but on reflection I think they just haven’t stood out to me until now.
The Glenfiddich distillery was founded in 1886, by William Grant in Dufftown. It was one of the only distilleries to up production during Prohibition in the US and then was one of the first to establish an infrastructure that allowed the production of copper stills and wood barrels on the distillery Premisses. Add to this some clever decisions and good marketing and you find that Glenfiddich is now the world’s best selling single malt, selling over a million cases a year.
Our dram for review is Glenfiddich 12 Year Old.
Appearance: Golden Barley
Aroma: Heat of ginger, sweetness of sugar. Like a ginger ale of a whisky. There is also a sharp, crisp apple note. Something like a pink lady.
Taste: Initially this dram is very light on the tongue, almost at first unnoticeable. On second and third sips, there are sweet, but distinguishable notes of honey and ginger. All these things combined, made me feel that this was a whisky that could be drunk at any time of the day. Some might even say that this is breakfast whisky. I can’t decide whether this habit would lead to me being more productive or getting fired.
The middle of the dram is much more interesting. There are orchard like note of apples and pears, but this is a wet, windy orchard day and you the drinker, are forced to hide in an empty barn, as the rain slams down on to the cobbles in front of you. This leads to the combination of fruit, of hay, of wet weather on cobbles and the melancholy of the typical English Summer day.
Finally as the dram moves backwards across the tongue, there is a very light peppery spice. which builds quickly and then drops away. The finish of the dram is short, light and leaves little behind.
Mouthfeel: Soft, fruity and floaty.
Overall: This is a much more interesting dram that I expected. It is soft, creamy and easy to drink. I think that this might be a good gateway whisky. One that you could buy for someone who likes their spirits, but might not be a whisky drinker. Especially if you can find it on a great offer in a supermarket. For the price, a reliable dram.
Having said all that, for a regular whisky drinker like myself, I just wasn’t wowed enough to say that I would purchase it. There are far too many other drams already on my shelf that I would choose over this one.
Real Dram Factor: 6.6
Source: Sample from #Dram16 Winners tweet tasting.
More Information: Glenfiddich Website
Buy Online: Master of Malt: Glenfiddich 12YO £30.13 or Amazon: Glenfiddich 12YO £24.00