Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera Reserve

Like a beautiful woman, we don’t really mind if a gorgeous Whisky claims to be a bit younger than it actually is… with Whisky that is a rare virtue.

Founded in 1887, with machinery bought from the Cardhu Distillery, William Grant created Glenfiddich. Still in the hands of the Grant family, Glenfiddich is the biggest selling malt Whisky worldwide and remains Scottish owned and independent. William Grant pioneered their Whiskies as "single malts" at a time when malts were produced to supply the blended Whisky producers. It's a vision that has paid off, thanks for creating the category Mr. Grant!

If you do not know about Glenfiddich, you are not a Whisky lover. Not only are they a "top-two" producer, of premium single-malt loveliness, they are the much honored and loved Speyside of choice for many. But let’s cut to the chase. Glenfiddich 15-year Solera Method is all about the "method" part… and a wondrous method it is too.

The Solera method is a long line of casks, where each year a portion of the Whisky in the first cask is moved to the second, and a portion of the second is moved to the third, and so on. No cask is ever emptied. The only thing that is bottled is the portion from the last cask. So there is always a bit of REALLY old Whisky in that final cask that gets intermingled. But...

Since Glenfiddich 15-year Solera is a date-stamped Whisky, and since — by law — all Whisky that is dated must carry the date of the "youngest" Whisky in the bottle, this means that the average age of this lovely little dram is FAR older than 15 years. So, though she claims to be 15, but we know the truth, and the truth is sweet indeed.


SmartAss Corner:
The Solera method began with Madeira and Sherry wines and balsamic vinegars. In Sicily, the process is called "perpetua."