Glenfiddich 12

[Ganga]

This morning I had to deliver a report to the copy service. Of course, Trader Joe's is on the route (really, it is) back to the office so I stopped to see what this one stocked. Well they had Glenfiddich 12 and Glenfiddich 12 Special Reserve. Canister is very different and label is different but is the product inside different? Is this just a rebranding effort? Anyone?

[lohssanami]

I couldn't say for sure, but it appears to be a rebranding effort. We always had the label with just Glenfiddich 12, but lately I have seen the Special Reserve set in the same bins as the older 12. Special Reserve and new tins right next to the 12 and older designed tins.

I couldn't find anything on the net that differentiated them other than the "Toasted Oak 12" and the "Caoran 12". On Royal Mile's site, the Glenfiddich 12 has a picture of the newer tin and the Special Reserve on the bottle.

FWIW!

[r900p]

How are they priced, if the reserve is more it could suggest better malt, however it may have been produced so that it covers the cost of the new packaging.

Do the ABV's differ

Rob

[Ganga]

They sit side by side in the store with only one tag that says, "Glenfiddich 12 $23.99." I remember them changing the special reserve from an NAS to 12 yo several years ago; I just don't recall ever seeing this one that doesn't say special reserve.

[pmullin]

I believe it's a replacement for the 12 and is to a different "recipe".

It doesn't seem the same to me (but I've only had it in the pub so maybe my taste buds were numbed!)
Just doesn't seem as "bright"

Last fall, I attended a Glenfiddich tasting, where we were fortunate enough to have Ian Millar, Glenfiddich's Global Brand Ambassador & Master Distiller, run the session for us.

I asked him if all the various expressions were based on the same new make, and he stated that they were. But he did say though, that other than age, an important variable in the various expressions is the ratio of sherry casks to bourbon casks vatted together for a given bottling. The older expressions have a higher proportion of sherry cask aged barrels.

[mikeymad]

They sit side by side in the store with only one tag that says, "Glenfiddich 12 $23.99." I remember them changing the special reserve from an NAS to 12 yo several years ago; I just don't recall ever seeing this one that doesn't say special reserve.

I think that the order of the day is that you should pick them both up... and then give us a full report on the variations. If they are the same... oh well, happy drinking...



Cheers,

[martynjenkins]

Glenfiddich have not marketed this as a change of content, and having a couple of bottles of the 12 - one new packaging, one old - to hand, opening them and seeking any differences seemed the only option.
in the UK as well as the bottle labels and the tubes, the old screw top of the 12 has been replaced by a cork. Not having opened a Glenfiddich 12 for a while the screw top fooled me for a few seconds wondering why it wouldn't pull out.
Not been able to find any taste difference between the two samples, so I think its just marketing - trying to give a more modern look - not necessarily a good thing with Whisky.
The 15 has had the same make over, and from the website I see this also applies to the 18 and 21. The word Reserve has been dropped from the whole range except for the Caoran.
Talking of the 15, the extra 3 years and the Solera do wonders to Glenfiddich - time to indulge in one I think

[Ganga]

Marty,

Thanks for the feedback. I never thought that the Fiddich NAS special reserve nor its replacement 12 special reserve were all that special. Just kind of average. Again, thanks.