Glenfiddich 12 Amontillado Cask Finish
In-Depth Review
We can get this out of the way early - Glenfiddich isn’t newcomer to the Scotch whisky scene. Built in 1886, Glenfiddich has steadily grown over the years to become the largest distiller of single malt in the world – with 32 spirit stills and a capacity of over 13 million liters a year. Compare that to Edradour distillery (one of the smallest in Scotland) with its 100,000 liters of production capacity and you sort of get the point. And even though they remain family owned, this isn’t your average mom and pop distillery.
So when Glenfiddich introduces a new whisky to their lineup, it’s a big deal. Currently offering more than 20 different whisky expressions, the fine folks at Glenfiddich thought there was room for one more. Introduced in 2022, this new 12 year old limited expression is finished in Amontillado sherry casks. Perhaps a reaction to American tastes leaning into heavily sherried malts like Macallan and Dalmore, this new expression boasts a secondary maturation in rare Amontillado casks to impart a strong sherry influence. They even bumped the ABV up from the tradition 40% of Glenfiddich to a modest (but appreciated!) 43% ABV. And with an MSRP of $55 it is a good deal cheaper than the entry level Macallan now as well. So when I got the chance to pick up a bottle of this for an astonishing $39.99 I couldn’t help myself. Let’s dive in and see if this is just a marketing tactic, or if there is some good whisky hiding in this lovely red tube.
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 43%
Cask: American and European oak finished in Amontillado sherry casks
MSRP: $55
Distillery Name: The Glenfiddich
Review Date: 12/8/22
Color: Bright gold with a ruby hue
Nose: The nose starts off strong with lovely notes of raisin and plum. The sherry comes through immediately. Clearly, this was more than just a marketing tactic – as the Amontillado finish hits with all the notes of mulled wine and rancio you’d expect from other more famous sherried scotches. There are soft notes of toffee, oak, and a lovely wood spice from the European oak casks as well. It’s a great nose that shows the deft hand of the master makers at Glenfiddich as they balance bourbon casks and a tricky sherry finish.
Palate: The palate starts off quite sweet, with spiced figs, poached pears, and nut jam. Bumping to 43% gives more heat than you’d normally expect from a Glenfiddich, and immensely more character. Lots of concentrated dried fruit notes burst onto the scene as the palate evolves in your mouth. The front of the palate is gentle at first, but slowly builds with heat and flavors as it moves to the finish.
Finish: Short finish with a dry, nutty, oak. There is a lingering spiced apple with a gentle warming heat. Unfortunately, even at 43% ABV, the finish disappears quickly and you are forced to dive into another sip to keep the experience going.
Final Thoughts: The Glenfiddich 12 Amontillado finish is one of the best Glenfiddichs I’ve had recently. It overdelivers compared to its classic 12-year-old stablemate, and gives just enough of that depth and complexity to keep even a scotch snob interested. Amazingly, even with the addition of sherry, this whisky retains the, clean, crisp, temperament of the classic Glenfiddich 12. There are no flinty or sulfuric dirty sherry notes – meaning this likely would appeal to a large group of consumers who may feel like they’ve been priced out of Macallan. This also delivers more on the palate than the classic Macallan 12, but at a fraction of the price (especially if you can find this for under $40 – it’s just a steal!). Certainly, this Glenfiddich 12 in Amontillado casks is one of the most surprising whiskies I’ve tried in 2022.
