Tag Archives: Glenfiddich

Glenfiddich Cask of Dreams: 2012 Limited Edition Tasting Notes

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Glenfiddich Cask of Dreams 2012One of the best parts about running Scotch Addict is the little community that has grown around it.

Today we have a real treat. Reader Lyle send in this report about Glenfiddich Cask of Dreams, 2012 Limited Edition.

First, a little background about this limited edition release. For a year, Glenfiddich asked fans to submit their dreams to their website and a lucky 24 were selected to have their dream included on the packaging.

They also took 11 new American oak casks on a tour of major US cities and invited fans to write their dreams. Then they took those casks back to Scotland and filled them with Glenfiddich aged 14 years and older to finish.

Glenfiddich-2012-DreamsHere’s Lyle’s report:

While on a vacation, back in March [2014], I was in a liquor store and noticed that they had 2 bottles of Glenfiddich Cask of Dreams – 2013 Limited Edition.

I immediately decided to purchase both bottles and brought them home. They have been sitting on the shelf until tonight, when I decided it was time to do some tasting.

From what I understand, they rolled empty barrels through several cities across America and let people sign and write their dreams on the casts. These casks were new American oak casks.

Once the writing and rolling was complete the casks were shipped back to Scotland, where they were filled with 14 year whisky for four months, to finish the aging process. My understanding is that 3,500 bottles returned to the US and yes two to my whisky shelf.

The new oak and vanilla flavors immediately filled my nose.

What I noticed with the taste was the subtle fruity and spices.

The finish was that of the rich oak that left my taste buds screaming for more.

I should mention that this whisky is a 48.8%, which is more than most of the Glenfiddich single malt whiskies, which are typically in the 40% to 43% range.

I think that I could enjoy a second tasting before retiring tonight.

I was very impressed with this single malt and find that the $100 price was well worth opening the wallet.

If anyone enjoys tasting scotch as much as I do, they will not be disappointed in the Glenfiddich Cask of Dreams. I must admit that this is not very rich in peat, if one is a peat lover, but very well done otherwise. I am pleased that I bought two bottles.

Thanks Lyle!

Glenfiddich 50 Year Sells for $27,000

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Everyone loves a good Scotch sale right? So it’s not surprising that the latest bottle of Glenfiddich 50 Year being sold to a Oregon man has gotten a lot of press. If you haven’t been keeping up on your 50 year bottles of scotch, this particular bottle comes in a hand blown bottle with a sterling silver collar engraved with the picture of Queen Elizabeth II. 450 bottles were made and they will be released in groups of 50 from 2009 to 2017, this year’s release commemorates the Diamond Jubilee and only six made it to the United States.

So who bought it? Lyle Schellenberg, a retired businessman, shelled out $27,000 for the bottle and he plans on drinking it. He’s been a Glenfiddich aficionado for decades, as many of us are (maybe not for decades!), and he’s not a collector. It’s always nice to see a pricey bottle like this going towards someone who will enjoy it, rather than shelve it as an investment.

$27,000 isn’t a bad price for a 50 year old scotch, right? 🙂

Glenfiddich Sets European Record for Whisky Auction

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Earlier this month, Glenfiddich auctioned off a 55 year old Scotch that fetched £46,850 (approximately $72,632 USD) and set a European record. It was one of the 15 bottles of Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve (the first to be sold), named after the oldest living Scot. Put into cask 1955 and bottled last month, it was estimated that the bottles would go for 30,000 and 35,000 pounds – it exceeded that price (fortunately for Water Aid, who gets the proceeds).

Glenfiddich 18 Year Old Tasting Notes

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Glenfiddich 18 Year OldWhen we visited Scotland a few years ago, I learned that Glenfiddich was one of the most popular brands of Scotch in the entire world. At the time, and it may still be the case now, they were the best selling single malt Scotch. That fact seemed to be reinforced by how frequently we saw Glenfiddich branded tanker trucks rolling through the hills of Speyside.

Located outside Dufftown in Speyside, Glenfiddich is Scotland’s largest distilleries with its own cooperage, coppersmith, and bottling facility (yes, they are one of the few that distill, mature, and bottle all in one facility). There is also, of course, warehouses for maturation and they currently have 26 stills – 10 wash, 16 spirit.

As for the name, they are located in the valley of the River Fiddich, hence Glen Fiddich. But enough with the history lesson, let’s get to Glenfiddich 18 Year Old – a scotch I’ve enjoyed before but most recently last night.

Glenfiddich 18 Year Old

Here’s what Glenfiddich says about their 18 year old:

Remarkably rich aroma with ripe orchard fruit, spiced apple and a robust oakiness.

Richly delivers luxurious dried fruit, candy peel and dates overlaid with elegant oak notes.

Warming. Rewarding. Distinguished.

As you’d expect from a Speyside, the flavors are fruity but you get a hint of spice along the way. On the nose it’s easy to get a strong sense of a wide variety of fruit, from apples to a hint of raisin, some citrus. On the palate, you get all that, plus oakiness to remind you of its age, with a sweetness of vanilla. Finish is long, smooth and warm, with a small nudge of spiciness.

It’s no surprise this has one several medals and is one of the most popular Scotches in the world.

(Photo: hep)

Scotch Whisky Naming Conventions

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Look at enough bottles of Scotch whisky and you’ll start seeing the same words over and over again. How many distilleries have “glen” in their name? Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Glengoyne, Glenfarclas, Glen Grant… you get the idea. Many of the distillers have names that describe where they’re located, which is why glen (which means valley in Gaelic) is so prevalent in so many names.

I started looking for common syllables in distillery names and come up with this short list.

  • Ben: It’s Scottish for mountain.
  • Burn: It’s Gaelic for fresh water but it’s also the name for a watercourse, artificial or natural, from large streams to small rivers.
  • Cairn: It’s a man-made pile of stones.
  • Dhu: The sgian-dubh, or skean dhu, is a small single edged knife that’s part of traditional Scottish Highland dress.
  • Duff: Duff is a surname
  • Glen: Gleann, and thus Glen, is Scottish for Valley with a river and is typically narrower and deep.
  • Knock: It’s another term for clock.
  • Loch: Loch is the term used for a lake or an inlet (Loch Ness? Lake Ness).
  • Strath: It’s a large valley that usually has a river and is wide and shallow.

I found it kind of fun to see what the origins of some of those syllables. For example, I thought it was interesting that there were different terms for a valley. You have strath for wide and shallow valleys and glen for narrow and deep valleys. Were there any that surprised you?