Glenfiddich 12 Year Scotch Whiskey Review

Glenfiddich means "Valley of the Deer" in Gaelic, and the Glenfiddich Distillery first opened for business in 1887 in the Fiddich River Valley, near Dufftown, Scotland. Their distinctive triangular-shaped, green glass bottle of Speyside single malt scotch has gone on to become one of the most recognizable brands of whiskey in the world, and when most people think of Glenfiddich scotch, they have the 12 year bottle in mind.

The Glenfiddich 12 Year is the standard scotch of the label, with all the other products of the Glenfiddich distillery receiving further aging. That aging takes place at the Glenfiddich distillery in oak barrels made from both American and Spanish oak. The distillery is noteworthy as one of the very few left in Scotland who makes and ages their scotch whiskey all in the same place, a feature that adds extra distinction as the water is uniformly drawn from the Robbie Dhu springs.

The Scotch
The scotch has a light color akin to wet straw. The nose has no peat to it, and is instead floral with overtones of pear. This is an easy-going scent that a novice will appreciate, although true whiskey snobs will likely miss the smokey peat. That lack of peat extends to the palate, which is a little toasty but mostly buttery, with hints of almonds and pear. Overall, Glenfiddich 12 Year is just good enough to serve as an entry-level scotch. The whiskey is thoroughly approachable and of the type that people who are unfamiliar with or do not care for whiskey might appreciate.

Price Tag
What makes Glenfiddich 12 Year a stand-out is the price tag, which often comes in at between $25 and $30. This is remarkably cheap for a scotch whiskey that isn't blended. Blended whiskey is mixed from multiple barrels to achieve a uniform flavor and to allow the distillery to save barrels of whiskey that is not quite up to standard. A whiskey that has not been blended is bottled from one barrel, an anti-industrial point that whiskey lovers generally prize. A shopper will be hard pressed to find a scotch whiskey that costs as little as the Glenfiddich 12 Year and is not blended.

Other Notes
Glenfiddich 12 Year has a reputation as a sub-par scotch among whiskey snobs, but despite that reputation the scotch has won a series of awards. It won gold in 2007 and silver in 2008 at the International Wine and Spirit Competition, gold at the 2010 Scotch Whisky Masters, and a 2010 gold medal from the Beverage Tasting Institute.