Glenfiddich Caoran Reserve 12 Year

A rare and enjoyable expression from the top-selling distillery, Glenfiddich, now discontinued. "Caoran" translates to "peat ember" in Gaelic. This is one of the few Glenfiddich expressions featuring peat, with a 12-year age statement. Bottled at 40% ABV, it has a burnished gold color. On the nose, there's considerable complexity and intriguing notes, atypical for this distillery. Pistachio ice cream, burnt hay, a very faint cigarette aroma. A fruity note; cigarette ash; minty cigarettes. After the initial taste, a very sweet toffee and herbal note emerged. Rainy fields, mint, and aromatic peat. Pineapple. On the palate, it's somewhat straightforward. Hard toffee candy. Caramel, apple, and cinnamon. The aftertaste is very pleasing. Pepper, vanilla, herbal. After the first sip, it brought forth ash and salt. Pipe tobacco. In summary, this is a very fresh, lightly peated dram, with complex notes but a somewhat muted overall profile. It's one of the more interesting Glenfiddichs available; the price of this discontinued bottle has increased recently. It feels like a valid experiment, but they still aimed for the typical Glenfiddich drinker who doesn't usually seek something too harsh or peaty. My rating is 84 out of 100.

Smoky for a Speyside, possessing more depth and a longer finish than the 12-year-old.

Peaty, buttery, spicy. Still very glad I purchased an additional bottle!!!