Continuing on from the 1975 Private Vintage tasting, here's the second in my series of Glenfiddich "Tasted" posts.Glenfiddich 18yo Ancient Reserve - a staple of the 'fiddich lineup for quite some time now. Not necessarily an everyday drinking whisky at $125AUD, but if you happen to be in a bar that serves it, you may find it's barely more expensive than the standard 12yo. I know of at least one bar that for a long while, was charging $12 for a Glenfiddich 12yo, $12 for a Glenfiddich 15yo, and $13 for the 18yo. $1 well spent if you ask me.
Anyway, we'll keep this one short, so on with the tasting...
Glenfiddich 18yo Ancient Reserve (43% ABV, batch 3301, $125AUD)
There's a subtle nose on the 18yo, but it's clearly a 'fiddich - sweetness with a hint of spice. On tasting, there's a big spicy first taste, which lingers to the very end. . If the 1975 is all about sweet nuttiness, this is all about spiciness. One standout characteristic is the short finish, especially in comparison to the (significantly older) 1975.
There's more subtlety here than with the '75 - largely I imagine due to the lower ABV. The flavour does open up significantly with a drop of water, which may or may not be to your taste (I recommend trying every whisky with a drop of water at least once - especially non-chill filtered whiskies, if for no other reason than to see the cloudy effect!).
Overall this is a solid Glenfiddich. If you're a fan of the distinct Glenfiddich taste, you'll find the 18yo a subtler, smoother version of the ever-popular 12yo. Highly recommended.
Rating: 93/100
Cheers,
- Martin.
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