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Glenfiddich Malt Master's Edition Sherry Cask Finish

Dazzling Denouement

0 690

@WhiskyBeeReview by @WhiskyBee

13th Oct 2012

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Glenfiddich Malt Master's Edition Sherry Cask Finish
  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Balance
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  • Overall
    90

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

From the press releases, we learn that this expression was crafted by Glenfiddich's Malt Master Brian Kinsman, in celebration of the distillery's 125th anniversary. Aged 6 - 8 years in bourbon casks, then 4 - 6 years in sherry casks, this whisky has a (semi-) limited release of 18,000 bottles, and a reasonable price of about $80 US.

Nose: Malt, wood smoke, vanilla, nuts, berries, pepper, and a fair amount of sherry influence. Layered, complex, but very subdued. There's a great deal going on, but it's all being told in whispers. Becomes wonderfully rich and full-bodied as it opens up. Let it sit.

Arrival/Development: Seems a bit disappointing at first (but just wait). More one-dimensional than the nose would suggest, with malt and roasted brown sugar dominating. The sherry has virtually disappeared. Nice, but not particularly interesting, frankly.

Finish: Here's where the Malt Master's Edition makes up for its shortcomings and then some. Ranks among the best finish experiences I've ever had with any whisky. Buttery, smoky, fruity (cherries, bananas, and bitter apple), with healthy layers of vanilla, malt, and caramel. Warm, smooth, ultra-rich, and it lasts forever with additional layers revealing themselves a full two or three minutes after swallowing.

To sum up in a sentence: nice on the nose, mediocre in the mouth, greatness down the gullet. I usually don't award marks so high when a whisky offers only one outstanding tasting-experience component, but I'll make an exception when that component is so spectacular that it deserves to be experienced by all malt lovers.

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6 comments

@NilsG
NilsG commented

I held this bottle in my hand yesterday. Could have bought it for ¥5000 ($60). Guess I have to run back tomorrow and hope it's still there.

12 years ago 0

@NilsG
NilsG commented

Got it! Haven't opened it yet, but a Glenfiddich with that much finish, I had to get it. And with the heads up for for the palate I won't be disappointed.

12 years ago 0

@WhiskyBee
WhiskyBee commented

@NilsG, hope you enjoy it. Post some thoughts if you get a chance!

12 years ago 0

@NilsG
NilsG commented

Had my first dram last night, and WOW! I had high expectations, and they were if anything exceeded. The nose just wonderful, I got raisin chocolate hitting me first. I didn't find the delivery disappointing at all, and the sherry was there too. What surprised me was that it felt a lot stronger than 43% (a good thing in my opinion), I would have guesed more like close to 50% if I was drinking this blind. The finish was just just fantastic. The funny thing was that at one point I thought it had had already ended, and I though "ok it wasn't that long" but then it came back again wave after wave.

Doing a little googling I notice there seem to be two different labels. On my bottle, and almost every pic/vid I see on the net has only "Sherry Cask" written in bold under the main "Glenfiddich Malt Master's Edition". But in one promotion picture found here and there, it says "Double matured in oak and sherry casks". Do you know anything that could shed some light on this?

My bottle's batch number is 02/11 by the way.

12 years ago 0

@WhiskyBee
WhiskyBee commented

@NilsG -- glad you liked it. Hmmm...interesting about the label. My bottle does say "Double matured in oak and sherry casks," and the batch number is 03/12, so maybe I have a later one? It's on the shelves at a couple of the local stores, so I'll check for variations next time I'm shopping.

12 years ago 0

@Tom92
Tom92 commented

Tasted this at a bar few months ago, had to get a bottle straight away. And another two to put away for a rainy day. One of my favourites!

9 years ago 0