Glenfiddich Fire & Cane

Appearance: Russet hue. Swirling shows a viscous coating on the glass with slow-forming legs. Nose: Predominantly honey, smoke, and green apple. Further smelling reveals sticky raisins and molasses. Palate: Primarily charcoal and heavily toasted bread. Also present are cinnamon, faint red apple, toffee, vanilla, and a hint of asphalt. Finish: Brief. Begins with a strong burst of campfire smoke that quickly fades. Followed by chili pepper, then a salty transition before ending with mild vanilla notes. With Water: Adding a drop of water introduces more brown sugar sweetness and grapefruit citrus to the palate, but diminishes the smokiness of the finish. Overall: While the previous Glenfiddich experimental release was disappointing, this one was purchased at a clearance price and seemed worth the risk. It's not an outstanding dram but is certainly drinkable and offered good value for the cost. It was consumed easily with a companion, and little remains. Recommendation: No Purchase Likelihood: Perhaps

Nose: Sweet, balanced smoke, similar to Caol Ila but without the sea-like notes. Honey, caramel apple, and a citrus element that isn't quite lemon - perhaps lemongrass? Palate: A sweet, smoky entry, with light peat on the palate and a hint of fruitiness (raisins?), honey, and vanilla. The mouthfeel is pleasant. Finish: Moderate. Smoke, salted caramel. The smokiness is what gives it any significant length; otherwise, it would be quite short. This is a very approachable smoky whisky, free from any unpleasant sour or rubbery notes. The palate is a little plain but perfectly satisfactory. I didn't detect much rum influence apart from some honey and caramel notes, and it was refreshing to encounter a subtle rum cask whisky. I'm uncertain how much the smoke affects the rum notes. I must admit I approached this with some apprehension, anticipating disliking it, but I ended up enjoying it. Sampled on the Keith and Dufftown Railway “Dram Tram”, Sunday, May 5th, 2024. “Good”: 83/100 (3.5 stars)

"The whisky that will divide you." The bottle and the label are amusing and attractive. A small booklet attached to the bottle's neck recounts its story. This whisky is intended to be smoky and sweet simultaneously. Or perhaps one after the other? Or either independently? Glenfiddich poses the question on the label: "What do you get?" Perhaps my senses weren't finely tuned today, but I didn't detect much smoke or sweetness. After some time, yes - a little of both elements are present in the aroma, alright. However, it's not an explosion of fire and cane, more like a lightly charred marshmallow. The taste was somewhat peppery, with hints of chili. Not particularly smooth. Not very malty or sweet. Interestingly, it brings to mind some Highland Park 18 yo bottles I've had issues with previously... An acceptable dram, not bad. Intriguing, but not deeply moving. I was glad to have tried it, yet it's not my preferred bottle on the shelf.

Winter holidays arrive more than once a year thanks to Glenfiddich's Fire and Cane. A sweet winter evening, you're enjoying a candy cane by the fireplace. The flavor is both sweet and smoky, with subtle fruit notes. The aroma is a complex delight, featuring candy cane and raisins with soft peat smoke. The palate continues the sweet note, with candy cane opening the way, followed by apple & pear with a cinnamon stick. The finish brings some chili pepper and peat, with the candy cane remaining throughout. This bottle surprised me, offering a wide array of flavors that somehow harmonize beautifully.

I'm drawn to whiskeys marked as 'sale'. I've purchased many poor ones because of this. This whiskey is not one of those. These are notes from the first pour. NOSE: Phenols, hints of BBQ meats and smoke, general sweetness, honey, tropical fruits, toffee, baking spices, and malt. PALATE: Round, semi-sweet, viscous and rich, with malt, tropical fruit sweetness, general spiciness, honey, caramel, and vanilla. FINISH: Quite long for 43% ABV, with spice and sweetness. In my opinion, a pretty good blend of peat and rum.

I gave it a try... I truly did. To me, it's an overwhelming burst of perfume and soap. At times, I can detect some malt and a bit of smoke, but no... absolutely not. In my opinion, it's borderline undrinkable, especially considering the outrageous price of over $50. I let it aerate with the bottle open for some time, but it still tastes like laundry detergent. I genuinely hope I received a faulty bottle, but there's no way I'd risk it again......55/100.......I'm not sure if it can be mixed to mask the soap flavor, but I don't care anymore as I feel ripped off given the price paid........your mileage may vary.