The most recent release of this series is a 19 Years Old finished in casks that previously held South American red wines,

to commemorate the 1831 voyage of the HMS Beagle. The Beagle travelled around the globe and landed on the east coast of South America, allowing Charles Darwin to collect fossils that would lead to the development of his famous theory of evolution. The HMS Beagle’s voyage lasted nearly five years. Darwin spent much of the trip travelling on land to collect specimens of plants, animals and fossils – making long expeditions to the interior of Argentina – now famous as a wine-growing region.

Facts

Glenfiddich 19 Years Old ‘Age of Discovery’ Red Wine

Nose

Dark, rich red fruits with hints of vanilla. Followed by traces of dusty oak and mint.

Taste

Spicy but sweet with sugared red berries and again hints of vanilla. Some slightly bitter oak in the back. All in all, tastes like a relatively fruity and sweet red wine to me.

Finish

Medium, pretty dry and a bit bitter. Once more red grapes.

Overall

Unfortunately, this expression does not do much more than showcasing the casks it was matured in without any additional layers of complexity or variety. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record: the low strength is not doing this series any favor.

Score: 81 / 100

The second release of this series was a 19 Years Old fully matured in American bourbon casks, inspired by the time when riverboats transported bourbon casks down the Mississippi to New Orleans. Furthermore, it is the first ever Glenfiddich exclusively matured in bourbon casks.

Facts

Glenfiddich 19 Years Old ‘Age of Discovery’ Bourbon

Nose

A very “middling nose” with a good balance between the bourbon influences (piles of vanilla, a bit of toffee and two hands full of fresh peeled bananas), the for Glenfiddich pretty typical “apple-ness” (although here it is more apple crumble) and a really noticeable citrus note. But there is even more to be found here: cinnamon toast with orange marmalade and slight traces of oak (albeit not smoky like the official tasting notes say).

Taste

Very smooth, light and sweet. Baked apples and baked pears with caramel sauce on vanilla ice cream and a few cinnamon chocolate sticks in between.

Finish

Medium, a bit dry, a bit spicy. More oranges

Overall

Not the most complex, but well done and agreeable. Only the finish drops off too quick. Would have benefited overall from a higher strength.

Score: 85 / 100

The start of the series was a 19 Years Old finished in Madeira casks to honor the 15th Century Portuguese explorers, who discovered in their search for a passage to India new islands like Porto Santo and Madeira. According to Glenfiddich, the majority of the Madeira casks come from the Canterio warehouse of Henriques & Henriques, a well-known, family owned Madeira company which was established in 1850.

Facts

Glenfiddich 19 Years Old ‘Age of Discovery’ Madeira

Nose

Deep and a bit earthy. A delicious fruit basket with figs, strawberries, gooseberries and grapes. Fresh vanilla biscuits served with orange marmalade.

Taste

Starts with orange liqueur and candied fruits before it moves on with sugared ginger and cinnamon. Unfortunately, it goes downwards from there due to the lack of strength, only leaving behind some thin-yet-cloying ginger liqueur.

Finish

Not very long, dry earth with a slightly sweet touch.

Overall

Lags behind its full potential. The nose is really good but the rest cannot keep up with it. Needs a bump up to 46% in my opinion.

Score: 84 / 100

But let’s get down to the facts now. The Small Batch Reserve is unlike the “normal” 18 Year Old matured in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks and afterwards married… One moment please, this sounds quite familiar…  Right! Glenfiddich uses exactly the same process for their “normal” 18 Year Old. So that is not the difference as far as I can judge. Also they are both bottled at 40% ABV.

So what is the difference between the two? Well, that is a good question and to be honest I cannot really answer that one. As far as I understand it 150 casks were used for this batch and that the marriage lasted three months. However I have no idea how many casks a batch of the “normal” 18 Year Old has and how long they are married. But as indicated by its name the Small Batch Reserve is perhaps produced in smaller quantities and is married longer than usual.

Facts

Glenfiddich 18 Years Old Small Batch Reserve

Nose

Baked apples with toffee, strewed with cinnamon and orange zests. A subtle undertone of ripe fruits from the sherry.

Taste

A very smooth and sweet entrance to the palate. The toffee is much stronger now. Joined by dried fruits. Gets spicier now, again some cinnamon. Ends in slightly dry sherry.

Finish

medium long to long with a touch of oak. Leaves a delicate tingling

Overall

Smooth and mellow but much more vibrant and full-bodied and thereby more complex than the “normal” 18 Year Old. Also the low strength is not so much of a handicap here. Marvelous, pleasant and almost dangerously tasty.

 Score: 90 / 100

Matured both in ex-bourbon and in ex-sherry casks, the casks got married together in small batches afterwards .

Facts

Glenfiddich 18 Years Old

Nose

A very strong flavor of fresh, sweet apples. In the background more fruits. Some pears and a touch of bitter orange. A subtle honey sweetness. Maybe also some cinnamon. Hints of oak. However I am not able to find the sherry here.

Taste

Opens very mild and gets sweeter. Again lots of fruity apple paired with some mead. Suggestions of oak and malt. On the back of this a touch of nuts. Mild and balanced, but pretty watered-down overall.

Finish

long and mild with a gentle dryness

Overall

Soft and smooth, but maybe a little too soft overall. A higher strength would be very beneficial here. Still a nicely balanced, gentle single malt.

Score: 83 / 100