Incidental Glenfiddich Recommendations from an aspiring whisky connoisseur, currently a perishing neophyte lucky enough to get his filthy paws on a few of the bottles mentioned above
As a fairly young and inexperienced whisky lover, this list of recommendations may by its very nature seem a little bit presumptuous. However, I must make it clear that I am in no way a whisky critic/snob, nor do I claim to be any sort of expert on the subject. These are simply a few whiskies I've been lucky enough to try and to enjoy, and I merely want to share my humble opinions with those who may be considering buying a bottle of the mentioned products. So please enjoy, and incidentally if anyone wants to add a few more recommendations, perhaps for the 30 year old reserve, I'll make sure to watch this node with great interest.
In February of last year I was lucky enough to find a rather cheap bottle of Ancient Reserve (aged 18 years) while in Prague. Seeing as my own eighteenth birthday was coming up in a month, and my dad's birthday was only a few days away, I decided to buy it as a present for someone who has been, without fail, generous with his own varied supply of whisky (and to see if he noticed the auspicious age of the bottle - which he did, without prompting). In my humble opinion, it's an excellent whisky, sweet, oaky and soft - best enjoyed while sitting out in the garden with family on a warm Sunday night. Or whenever the hell you like, really; it's your bottle.
On the subject of fortunate pricing overseas, I tend to have all my luck with whisky while on holiday; in June while enjoying a relaxing break in Spain, I saw a bottle of Gran Reserva (aged 21 years and finished with rum), which I never even knew existed. I was about to buy it and fling it down my neck with gusto until I saw the price tag - 130 euros, more money than I could afford to spend on one item (or on much else). I later learned that this was a blatant markup, and plan to buy a bottle ASAP.
Also, my dad recently recieved a bottle of Caoran Reserve (aged 21 years) as a birthday present, and was as always eager to share the joy. Cutting straight to the chase, it's a great whisky; sweet, refreshing and tasty. Buy a bottle if you get the chance, and if for some reason you don't like it, send it to me immediately for critical analysis.
I plan to grab some Solera Reserve as soon as I can, having heard good things about it from various people. As soon as I can get ahold of some, I'll add my thoughts here for anyone who might be interested.
In short, as far as I've seen, Glenfiddich offers a great selection of varied whiskies. If you can, and if you're inclined, be sure to find and enjoy them.