Glenfiddich
The world's best-selling single malt, in the triangular bottle with the deer. Everything about the 12, 15, and 18 Years, the taste, the cocktails, and the right glass to serve it in.
Still owned by the same family
Glenfiddich was founded in 1887 by William Grant in Dufftown, in the heart of Speyside. The name is Gaelic for 'valley of the deer', hence the deer on the label. The distillery is still owned by the same family, which is exceptional in the Scotch whisky world: almost all major brands are now part of an international group.
In the 1960s, Glenfiddich was also the brand that put single malt on the map outside Scotland, at a time when almost all whisky was sold as blended whisky. The style is typically Speyside: fruity, light, and approachable, with pear and apple as its signature notes. The 12 Years is the standard reference; above it are the Solera 15 and the 18 Years, alongside a range of experimental bottles.
In brief
What types of Glenfiddich are there?
Glenfiddich 12 Years
The classic: twelve years in ex-bourbon and sherry casks. Fresh pear, green apple, vanilla, and a soft, lightly spicy finish.
Glenfiddich Solera 15 Years
Matured in three types of cask, then combined in a solera vat that is never emptied beyond halfway. Warmer and fuller: honey, marzipan, and sherry.
Glenfiddich 18 Years
Eighteen years in Oloroso sherry and American oak. Baked apple, cinnamon, and oak, with a long, dry finish.
Glenfiddich Bourbon Barrel 14
Fourteen years in ex-bourbon barrels, then finished in new, heavily charred American oak. Fuller and sweeter: vanilla, toffee, and oak.
Glenfiddich Fire & Cane
Peated and unpeated malt brought together and finished in Latin American rum casks. Gentle smoke with caramel and caramelized sugar.
Glenfiddich Project XX
Twenty whisky experts each chose one cask from the warehouse; those twenty casks were blended together. Rich and fruity, at 47% ABV and without chill filtration.
The 12 Years is the logical first bottle; the Solera 15 is the step up.
Pear, green apple and vanilla
Pear & green apple
Fresh pear and green apple, with vanilla and a light note of oak. Typical Speyside: fruity and inviting, without smoke.
Light and fruity
Soft and light-bodied, with pear, vanilla and subtle spiciness. The Solera 15 and 18 Years also bring honey and sherry.
Soft and slightly dry
A medium-length finish with oak and a light pepperiness. Never harsh; this is a whisky that won't put anyone off.
Tasting profile of Glenfiddich 12 Years. The Solera 15 and the 18 are fuller and sweeter; Fire & Cane scores 3/5 for smokiness and Project XX higher for strength.
Three ways to drink Glenfiddich
Glenfiddich is light and fruity, making it suitable for drinking neat as well as mixing. I wouldn't mix away the 18 Years, though.
Neat at room temperature
4 cl in a tulip-shaped tasting glass, without ice. Let it sit for a minute: the pear and green apple then come through most clearly, with vanilla underneath.
Glass: tasting glass →On the rocks
5 cl over one large ice cube in a heavy tumbler. The ice melts slowly and makes the whisky fresher without diluting it immediately. Especially enjoyable with the 12 Years on a warm day.
Glass: tumbler →As a highball
40 ml Glenfiddich 12 in a highball glass filled with ice, topped with 120 ml ice-cold sparkling water and a lemon peel. The whisky's fruitiness comes through light and fresh; ideal with food.
Highball recipe →The best cocktails with Glenfiddich
Whiskey Sour
Whisky, lemon, sugar and egg white. Glenfiddich's apple fruitiness works well here.
Old Fashioned
Whisky, sugar, bitters and one large ice cube. More elegant with malt than with bourbon.
Rusty Nail
Scotch with Drambuie over ice. Sweet, spicy and ready in thirty seconds.
Penicillin
Whisky, lemon, honey and ginger, with a smoky float on top.The right glass for Glenfiddich
A tulip-shaped tasting glass brings together the pear and vanilla notes; a heavy tumbler is for whisky on the rocks. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about Glenfiddich
Can't find your question here? Check out our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
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