This is the second of three 21 year old Speyside single malts in this series. We started with the Glenfarclas 21 and will be following up with the Balvenie 21 Portwood. Let’s see how this stacks up against the Glenfarclas.
Glenfiddich 21
Age: 21 years
Abv: 80 proof
Color: A medium gold
Price: $179.99
Neat
Nose: Sweet and delicate with floral, fruity and honey notes.
Taste: Sweet honey notes and complimented by banana and warm spice with a decent mouthfeel given the low proof.
Finish: Long and dry with warm spice and malt notes.
1 Star - Good whiskey: I would choose to drink this over readily available whiskies
Conclusion
This was very good and pretty different from the rest of the Speysides I’ve reviewed so far. I like the notes the rum casks impart though I was a little disappointed with the proof drop from 86 to 80 from the 18 year to the 21 year. It was close call between this and the Glenfarclas 21 but I preferred the more traditional sherry notes of the Glenfarclas.
Overall it’s a great bottle but I don’t think it justifies the price jump from the Glenfiddich 18 year. That said, if you can find it on a decent sale it’s a solid pickup.