Review: Glenfiddich 12 and 14 Years Old (2025)

Over the years we’ve covered more Glenfiddich than I can possibly recount, but today we’re going back to basics, sort of — with fresh looks at two of the distillery’s most prominent releases, Glenfiddich 12 Years Old and Glenfiddich 14 Years Old.

Glenfiddich 12 Years Old (2025) Review

Bourbon barrel-aged and oloroso sherry-finished, in 2025 this comes across as a perfectly approachable, if rather tame, entry-level experience that hits all the highlights of Speyside. Extremely malty on the nose, the sherry comes across as muted and touched with notes of glazed walnuts, clove-studded oranges, and a bracing touch of Lemon Pledge. The palate makes only minimal departures from this, again doubling down on the cereal notes and pushing a stronger lemon character, which adds a little zing to what can otherwise be a fairly straightforward run to the finish. Sweetness is actually quite elusive, featuring a touch of shortbread and chocolate biscuits, neither overly distinct. It’s a straightforward, entry-level single malt no matter how you look at it, but sometimes that’s just what the doctor ordered. 80 proof. B+ / $35 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

Glenfiddich 14 Years Old Bourbon Barrel Reserve (2025) Review

Aged in bourbon barrels and finished in a second set of heavy char new oak barrels. Incredibly soft on both nose and palate, this whisky is one of the mildest single malts on the market. If you have a friend who says they “don’t like Scotch” for whatever reason, pour them a glass of this and see what they have to say. It’ll probably closely mimic my own thoughts: The nose is nutty with an almond milk character, backed up by touches of white pepper and a charry, leathery quality reminiscent of what you might detect in a bourbon (which tracks with this product). The palate doesn’t make any bold diversions from the above, taking a gently sweet marzipan character and complementing it with some mild florals, creamy apple butter, and layers of caramel. The lengthy finish is all vanilla, all day. So, so… pleasant. (Also available in 375ml and mini formats now.) 86 proof. B+ / $60  [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

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