I have been tasting some ‘Old and Rare’ whiskies lately and I will be posting the reviews here on Whiskylifestyle for the next few weeks, starting with this Glenfiddich 1968 Vintage Reserve.
Not much is known about this Vintage Reserve series, except that they are all single cask releases, bottled at cask strength. Something you normally don’t see very much at Glenfiddich. The only other times I’ve been able to taste single casks from Glenfiddich were the Spirit Of Speyside festival bottlings and they were all really good, especially this peated version was a big surprise.
However, these festival bottlings that I tasted were a lot younger and since these Vintage Reserve bottles (which are all 30 years and older) are no longer released, you can imagine that the prices have also increased extremely in recent years. I don’t think many bottles of this series have been opened either, as they mainly end up in the hands of collectors.
This Glenfiddich has matured for 30 years and is bottled at 49.2% ABV. Cask no. 13142. Specially bottled for the Glenfiddich Distillery Shop.
Glenfiddich 1968 tasting notes:
Nose: a little flat at first, but after giving it time this gets so much better. It definitely needs a little air to open up. After that, I get some dark fruits, such as blueberries and blackberries. A subtle hint of leather, which is quickly followed by oranges. Heather honey. A pinch of nutmeg. Later also redberries. Then a whiff of tropical fruits, leaning towards pineapple.
Taste: oh very nice. Very fruity at first, with again blueberries and blackberries. Some honey here as well. Oranges. Dark chocolate. And somewhat oaky. Ending with some lovely warm spices, such as cinnamon, black crushed peppercorns and nutmeg here as well.
Finish: mid-long with mostly honey. Also red apples. And a glimpse of the same spices as can be found on the palate. A hint of tobacco and leather.
An incredibly beautiful dram. Despite his age, it still has a nice fresh nose, which continues to develop. When talking about the palate, there are many of the same flavours as in the nose, creating a nice transition, although it is slightly spicier than the nose suggests. The finish, which is also very good, however, lags a bit behind and is just not at the same level as nose and palate. But all in all, a stunner of a single malt, a true classic.
