Scottish Whisky

Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 18 Years Old
43% ABV/86 Proof
$70 to $75
Available worldwide
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What the Distillery Says:
At eighteen years, our single malt is exceptionally smooth and mellow wit notes of oak, apple and cinnamon. Matured in the finest Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks and then married in small batches for remarkable depth and complexity. Judged to be the best 18 Year Old Scotch Whisky in the world.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich cream, tobacco, cinnamon crumb cake.
Palate: Very spicy and malty.
Finish: Clean with a slow fade leaving woody, nutty notes.
Comments: This is definitely the Solera’s big brother. Part of it is the 43% bottling strength which I’d like to also see in the 12 and 15 year olds. But mostly the extra years have bee kind to Glenfiddich. It’s smooth, easy to drink, and has some pleasant notable characteristics. Would I call it the “best 18 Year Old Scotch Whisky in the world” you may ask? No, but it’s a good value and you really can’t go wrong with it.
Rating: Stands out

The Balvenie Golden Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 14 Years
47.5% ABV/95 Proof
$60 to $65
Travel Retail Exclusive
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What the Distillery Says:
“characterised by fruity sweetness and subtle spice”

In the crafting of GoldenCask, Balvenie is carefully aged for many years in traditional oak whisky casks and then transferred into barrels that had previously held golden Caribbean rum for a final period of maturation.

Characterised by fruity sweetness and subtle spice, The Balvenie GoldenCask is only available in Duty Free and is non chill-filtered and bottled at a strength of 47.5% abv.

NOSE: Light and fruity with notes of vanilla and honey. Delicate layers of orange and subtle flora add complexity.
TASTE: Sweet and spicy with a beautiful syrupiness. Chocolate orange and vanilla oak combine with hints of aniseed and liquorice.
FINISH: Long, dry and oaky.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Very light with lots of creamy honey fruit notes that remind me of cognac. Maybe scotch + rum = cognac? (I’m kidding!)
Palate: There is just a hint of sweetness. I’m mostly picking up a spicy smokiness. That’s not really what I expected from a rum cask finished scotch.
Finish: The finish is long with lots of smoky oak.
Comments: I don’t get out of the country too much. I’m not the international man of mystery the internet would lead you to believe. When I do I try to look for travel retail bottlings. A lot of them really are nothing special but I’m sucked in by the exclusivity of only being able to buy them in travel retail. This particular bottling is nice. I enjoy it from time to time but I was really hoping for a little more sweetness. Something closer to the Havana Reserve Glenfiddich 21 Year Old. I would’ve recommended that you pick up a bottle last year but with the new 14 Year old Caribbean Rum Cask as part of their standard line I’m not so sure anymore. I’ll have to grab a bottle and do a side by side to see if this is really just the same thing with 4.5% extra alcohol.
Rating: Stands Out