Glenfiddich Pure Malt Special Reserve

This mini came to me with a group of other minis I purchased through Scotch Whisky Auctions. Pam had a full sized bottle of this many years ago, and I didn't like it much. My friend Igor Kossov had a very old mini version of this (with an "Over 8 Years Old" statement on it) which I also didn't think much of. This mini doesn't seem that old, but of course Glenfiddich doesn't make this NAS edition anymore (though, like everyone else, they are releasing more NAS bottlings). Also, I'm pretty sure it's a blend, not a vatted malt.

The colour is a light, pale straw. Also light on the nose with canned pears, heather, fresh cut grass and the faintest hint of peat. Green apple skins. Malty. A drop of water adds some herbal notes (mint, sage). Clearly very young, but fresh and inviting. A good breakfast dram (it's 11:30am right now as I write this!)

On the palate there is more pear (less apple) with lemon curd and crisp cereal notes. Underripe banana. Barley sugar. Water gives it a bit of a kick (as if the ABV increased) and brings out the peat. Light, fresh and summery.

The finish is short with lemon pith, digestif biscuits and grassy notes. This is quite nice, better than the other "Pure Malts" I've had from Glenfiddich that I noted above. I have the last dregs of a 'Fiddich 12, let's see how they compare: the 12 is darker in colour, and oakier on the nose and palate - but I actually prefer the Pure Malt's bright complexity rather than the 12, which is simpler and without that bright, refreshing quality. It's clear that some peated malt was used in the Pure Malt, whereas I don't think any was used in the 12. As so often happens, the older bottlings are superior to the newer.....sigh....

Tried with two fingers and a cube of ice. Medium-bodied with a slight sweetness and very low peat. Bit of floral notes but very hot even with the ice. Good everyday whisky but no where near the quality of their 18 year.

Being a first review from an unaccomplished writer please bear with me. The language and vocabulary will evolve over time. The first time I ever had scotch was many years ago during my Army days and happened to be the 12 year old expression from Glenfiddich. At the time I didn't place any thought into where it came from or its flavor profile. It was free, it was smooth, and I could easily carry the bottle around the party.

Now that I am older and have decided to take this style of whisky seriously and I wanted to write my first review. I decided this 12yr special reserve to be the appropriate starting point, especially since I did not appreciate what I was drinking when I was younger.

Drinking neat, the first things I notice is a light smell of carmelized brown sugar and pears. Not unlike an expensive desert at a nice restaurant. There were no other distinctive notes on the nose for me which was a little disappointing but not unwelcome.

The body was clean and moderatly oily. I could still taste the fruity pears but the brown sugar disappeared. It was warm but uncomplex and easy to drink but no fireworks. Slight smoke and quickly disappearing aftertaste.

I understand why many call this a gateway malt. No surprises and comes at you in a straight forward way. Supremely easy to drink but best left for those who want a few tugs and not reflect on what the are sampling. Certainly great for newbies but I am ready to move to the next level.

Glenfiddich is the best selling single malt whisky in the world. So one can expect that he'll be soft and sweet, to be able to be appreciated by such a large audience. This Pure Malt Special Reserve completely confirms this.

The nose is full, very fruite with a hint of pear. Sweet, but not in a bad way - at all. This is going to be one sweet dram!

The golden color and medium body also seem to be screaming: 'sweetness ahead'!

This is confirmed with the very first sip, that is full and sweet indeed! No peat anywhere that I could discover immediately. It's only faint in the background. It's fruit that dominates this Glenfiddich.

Just so you know: 'glen' means valley (which explains why so many drams from the region have the word 'glen' in their name) and fiddich (pronounced fiddick) means deer. Now the label makes perfect sense.

The finish is very nice and soft, but neither long nor short. Let's say 'medium'.

This easy-to-drink soft malt makes you long for more.