glenfiddich 15 year old solera reserve single malt scotch whisky

A solid choice!

Subdued sherried Scotch held back by low ABV This Speyside Scotch whiskey is a bit of a rarity: a solera-blended single malt. The solera process is traditionally used with aged rum to combine differently aged expressions of the same rum to consistently match the flavor (and production cost) desired by the distillery. In this case, the solera process seems to be used to combine Glenfiddich single malts of the same age, but aged in different types of wooden barrels: ex-sherry, ex-bourbon, and new oak. The result is a smooth Scotch with just a little more than a hint of sherry sweetness and that rosy sherried color. This would be a great second step for someone on their Scotch journey: the next frontier after you've gotten comfortable with the entry-level Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, and so on. However, more experienced scotch aficionados will find something wanting in the thin mouthfeel and relatively shallow flavor profile. This is a whiskey that would have benefitted from being bottled at around 45 ABV, instead of the 40 that we end up with. Nevertheless, a worthy purchase, or gift, for a budding Scotch drinker.

Tis the Season

This Scotch is not an ordinary, entry level drink. It's very refined, has a subtle and smooth burn down to your belly. It's precisely what I expect in mid-price-point adult beverage. Warm, spicy, a hint of oaky woods and fruit with a caramel finish. Imagine eating a caramel apple covered in Scotch. Very clean, neat, not peaty. An excellent gift for a Scotch connoisseur. You will feel no shame in gifting this at the holidays. You will probably be heralded as the best gift giver of the season. Enjoy it neat. This Scotch does not need ice or water, but a touch of water will smooth it out for a novice.