Glenfiddich 18 Year Small Batch Reserve Scotch Review

Glenfiddich 18 Year Small Batch Reserve scotch is a classic sherried single malt that exhibits very high quality. The company’s ownership of its cooperage allows for greater quality control and a better aging process all around.

Tasting Notes

Color: Light golden orange—many scotches use caramel coloring, and it’s hard to figure out which brands do and don’t. If Glenfiddich does use artificial coloring, it does so sparingly.

Nose: The sherry influence is immediately noticeable, with distinct notes of orange and light chocolate. Malt, vanilla and light honey gain more presence with each nosing.

Palate: It’s more rich chocolate-covered orange from the sherry casks, along with nougat, honey and vanilla from the ex-bourbon casks, and slightly nutty malted barley. The mouthfeel is thick and viscous, with a light spicy kick on the finish.

Finish: Very long, dominated by dried fruit (mainly candied orange peel and fig), malt and oak

Our Review

Glenfiddich was founded by William Grant, who built the distillery himself with the help of his sons, in 1887; five years later, he built the nearby Balvenie distillery. Glenfiddich was, and still is, used in Grant’s blended whisky, but in the early 1960s, it became the first single malt whisky sold as such outside Scotland; at the time, it was known as a “straight malt.” The 18-year-old expression is aged in ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry casks; 150 casks at a time are selected for marrying in large wooden tuns for an additional three months before bottling.

Glenfiddich is still one of the great Speyside distilleries, and the 18-year-old is evidence of why it’s so revered. This is a beautifully balanced whisky, with the sherry influence dominating but not overwhelming the flavors imparted by the bourbon barrels. It’s not quite as intense a dram as 18-year-old expressions from The Macallan or The Dalmore, which age more extensively in sherry casks, but it’s just as enjoyable a ride—soft, smooth, mellow, elegant—and at a fraction of the price of those two bottles. 

Glenfiddich 18-year-old is bottled at 43% ABV (bumped up from 40% in recent years), and it could stand to be at a still higher proof. While it’s rich and flavorful, it may be just a tad too soft for serious whisky-lovers who want a bit more “oomph” in their glass. As it is, it falls a little short of the very top tier of great single malts. That said, it’s still a ridiculously enjoyable dram, meant for sipping and savoring rather than mixing.