Glenfiddich 15yo Solera Reserve
by Paul Arthur on Apr.19, 2009, under single malt, spirit, whisky
Background: “Solera” is a term more commonly encountered in discussions of sherry production, and describes an aging and blending process which uses a series of barrels. Each year a portion of the final barrel is bottled, and that barrel is topped up with sherry from the next one down the line, and so on until the first barrel, which is topped up with the new sherry. Glenfiddich use a modified version for this expression, where the whisky is first aged normally in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and new oak casks then married in their “Solera vat”, which is never emptied more than half way.
Nose: Flowering heather, apple, rose petals.
Taste: Honeyed apple, charred oak, hints of sherry and spice. Medium-length finish is very drying and almost bitter.
Overall: Smoothish, but the new oak influence is heavy (almost to the point of overpowering) and the finish is slightly grating. Still, an interesting little dram.
