John got this bottle of Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 yo whisky as a gift, and I decided why not. Let’s end this year on an old note. I started this year with the Three Ships PX cask. I will begin next year with the Three Ships Pinotage Cask. But first, I end 2016 on a high note with the Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 year old single malt Scotch whisky.
Glenfiddich is one of three William Grant family-owned distilleries which sit in close to each other to the north of Dufftown. The Glenfiddich distillery is massive and has a capacity of 10 million litres per year, making it one of Scotland’s largest distilleries.
During 2016, the packaging on the Glenfiddich Gran Reserva was re-designed. It re-launched as part of the Glenfiddich core range. The bottle is a broader, thicker version of the classic three-sided bottle used for the younger expressions in the core range. The liquid remains the same as in the earlier releases.
The Glenfiddich Gran Reserva single malt was aged for 21 years and then finished in Caribbean Rum casks for around four months. The rum-soaked casks add warmer and more vibrant flavours to compliment the fruity dram.
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Glenfiddich 21 year old Gran Reserva Whisky Review
REGION: Speyside
ABV: 43,2%
COLOUR: A dark amber with hints of red in the glass.
NOSE: Rich tropical fruit, lychee, guava and banana mixed with red berry fruits and hints of toffee sweetness along with faint whispers of oak. There is a rich dark note to the nose with a layer of vanilla and cinnamon.
PALATE: The Gran Reserva starts with pepper spicy and then very quickly turns to fruity deliciousness before evolving into rich toffee and vanilla. A second sip reveals a delicious tropical fruit such as dried mango and banana with hints of oak and fruitcake.
It is rich, complex and chewy! A toffee sweetness hangs around the background. The addition of water opens this whisky up wonderfully, and it becomes smoother and sweeter. It is easy drinking with the traditional Glenfiddich fruitiness enhanced by the rum casks.
FINISH: The finish is brilliant. It is long and lingering and ends in sweet and spicy notes.
RATING: DIVINE
It is a brilliant dram! The flavour development profile and finish of this Glenfiddich 21 year old Gran Reserva whisky ia undoubtedly the highlight. The fruitiness is perfectly balanced with the sweet spices. This dram puts a HUGE smile on my face.
I was planning to end the year on a high note and knew that the Glenfiddich Gran Reserva was excellent, but I did not expect it to be this good! What a finish – both the whisky and the year.
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