Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Reserva Rum Cask Finish

Amazing. Just wish glenfiddich would grow some balls and bottle this at 50% or higher. Still it’s worth 5 stars as it tastes sublime.

30th November 2019

The nose is bright and vibrant: fruity oak, malt, satsumas, pineapples.

Taste, very subdued in flavour. The rum is detectable but if anything seems to subtract the malt flavours.

Finish is short and it all seems as if nothing has really happened after 21 years on cask. What has this whisky been doing? Very little if the taste is anything to go by.

Unfortunately it just isn't very interesting on any level. The best thing is the nose.... and the packaging..... if only they'd chosen busier casks....but then Glenfiddich is a light malt, but after 21 years it seems the angels have taken the best part.Who on Earth awarded this Gold? I will henceforth treat the IWSC with suspicion.

4th October 2019

Barley is allowing to germinate by adding moisture.green shoots appear.Then the process is halted by drying the barley.(malted)
Obvious long before a decent road network. The windswept Islands & coastline of Scotland. Were pretty treeless.
So long before vehicles & decent roads. The only fuel available to dry the germinating barley was “Peat”! This tradition continues today. In fact I’m sure the germination of the barley is brought to a halt using power from the National grid.
Peat smoke is added to the malted barley.
“To provide the expected produce”

30th September 2019

I love it. Maybe the smoothest whiskey I’ve ever had. Beautiful floral aroma on the nose and a long smooth finish.

28th September 2019

My thoughts regarding the Glenfiddich 21 rum cask finish. Is as I previously posted,extremely mellow & easy drinking!
Like caramel or with the sweetness butter scotch confectionary. As I previously said single malt whiskys are all beautifully different & individual. I’ve drank 3 at lunch 7 days a week for 15 years at Teuchters Gastropub in Edinburgh.
Which is approximately fifteen thousand single nips I’ve savoured.But I’ve only a couple of hundred different malts though! There isn’t fifteen thousand.Don’t compare whiskys to each other please.
Each distillery has
maturated its single malts in different casks,where the whisky attains everything! Nose,palate,colour,aftertaste.Rum,Port,Bourbon,Sherry amongst casks used.Malted,distilled barley is colourless until it’s been ages in a barrel for the number of years indicated on the bottle.
Of course if the barley is malted with peat it adds the smokiness.lack of trees on windswept islands & coastline.

28th September 2019

A lovely easy drinking smooth honey, caramel is the taste I detected.
All single malts are beautifully individual.
I’ve drank 3 or 4 different single Scottish malt whiskys at lunch every day at Tuechters Gastropub in Edinburgh for 15 years now.I do rate this but it’s obviously nothing like, Ochtomore,Ardbeg,Lagavulin,etc etc.
Which also enjoy. Around 1500 single malts over 15 years.
A really enjoyable treat.

28th September 2019

This is without question the most disappointing whisky I have ever tasted given the asking price. Watery and thin taste. The rum finish does not integrate well with the spirit. No finish at all. Nothing. The 15 year old is better than this and is at least a third of the price. There is so much better out there. So sad.
Rant over.

21st August 2019

I had the Gran Reserva couple years ago, got if from friend in the whisky industry who gets options of buying certain whiskies from a list as a kinda work bonus, I paid £40 for the Gran Reserva 21, and enjoyed it.

However, it was £136 full price, and for a 40% abv it better be absolutely stunning, but its not.

I would certainly be interested in a Cask Strength version of this though, depending on price point.

12th July 2019

A gorgeous taste. Could easily drink this in one night.. but for the price I'll only have a couple every now and again

18th April 2019

I bought this whisky with some money my parents gave me for christmas and I have just opened it.My god what an absolutely stunning dram. What you are tasting here is over a hundred and thirty years of skill, dedication, experience and expertise.This is single malt whisky at it's very best.Layer after layer of flavour , all showing themselves but without tripping over one another.Forget the negative views and try it for yourself.No wonder Glenfiddich is the most awarded single malt.

9th March 2019

Best I've ever tasted. Can't wait to get another bottle. Soft subtle flavours. Really smooth finish. Perfect for late night drinking.

27th February 2019

I find the negative reviews very interesting. Not much detail on why they don’t like this beautiful single malt. I enjoyed the taste. It’s slightly sweet and has a wonderful aroma. This is a great single malt to drink neat. I even got a couple of friends hooked on it.

25th December 2018

food of the Gods!!!!

19th September 2018

Sugar, honey and overpowering banana on the nose and palate.
It's not bad and I would drink it again but I would rather buy loads of glenfidich 12s for the price.

7th September 2018

This is a quality scotch for the price. Very smooth. If you want a more favorable scotch, don't buy an aged whiskey. They get smoother with age but don't have the robust flavor of a younger version. I loved it.

24th August 2018

So I bought this bottle thinking it seemed pretty good price for a 21 yr old. i opened it and had it along side my Glenfiddich 15 Solera cask. On the nose, the 15 yr smelt better and I thought that the 15 was really good for its price. The 21 yr left me a bit disappointed. it was smooth but the taste was not what I had hoped.

so I let it sit on my bar table for quite a while. each time I would revisit it, each time I felt the taste getting a bit better. I left it half full for 3 months and brought it to my father in laws place to drink and oh what a surprise ! It was really flavorful and so much taste and oh so smooth.

I dont know how to use the appropriate terms of complexity and what not.. but I just know that the more I let it sit, the better the taste. So for me, it got better over time. at the end I really loved it

19th July 2018

Try a sample..seriously 21yo? just walk away

21st April 2018

Very poor for the price , well just in general. Not like the old 21 rum finish. Can't really compare to a bottle 1/3rd of the price and 7 years apart ....(Balvenie 14 - comments below) but I'd take the Balvenie anyday . Don't waste your money .

20th January 2018

When on special in Melbourne, it offers much better value than the Balvenie 14 Caribbean which lacks the smoothness and balance of this delicious drop.

6th November 2017

Great whisky to have for guests and fireside chats. Well done to Glenfiddich!

25th October 2017

Was a little wary given some of the other reviews, but overall thought it was lovely. The citrus comes through and the rum cask adds a nice complexity, although could do with a bit more depth. Easy drinking for a night with friends.

23rd October 2017

Excellent dram. A bit expensive for what you get but smooth taste and easy drinking. Delightful whisky for the holidays.

22nd October 2017

Expensive and taste like Witch piss

24th July 2017

Complex nose of orange, citrus and leather. Smooth at first then comes on forcefully pleasant with a long warm finish with NO off tastes. Viscous without being syrupy. This is a good one! Reasonable price for a very good 21 year single malt.

4th April 2017

Top of my list. This version taste as good but love to try the airport version with 43.2% in comparison.

4th January 2017

If you look at the marketing carefully, the previous 21 was finished in Gran Reserva rum casks. This new bottling and packaging is now only Reserva rum casks. It may suggests a shortage of older or better quality casks, or a change in the recipe of Glenfiddich's rum combination due to shortage in some component rums.

27th December 2016

Since I first fell in love with the 21, it seems to have changed. I believe they aren't giving it as much time in the rum casks as they did the first batches, and it shows.

26th December 2016

I would recommend! Amazing flavor!

15th December 2016

I have tried more than 150 different single malts.. And must say im quite a fan of the glenfidich... But this one was the biggest disapointment off all teh whiskies of my life..considering the age and the price. Not balanced at all, not a decent finish and way below the old glenfidich 21 gran reserva. Instead of replacing the 21 years old they ruined theyr reputation. Should be taken out of the market asap or will get the brand seriously damaged.

22nd September 2016

Opps missed my rating. BTW, it has a unique taste due to rum finish

29th June 2016

It was good drink but not great. I see comments on the price thus I agree this is slightly overpriced. I will consider again if the price drops. :-)

29th June 2016

Overwhelming vanilla flavour that smothers other aspects. Tinge of Rum is faint. Long reach is it's best aspect. Too smooth to be distinctive. Way over-priced. Far better whiskeys on the market for one third of the price. Very disappointed.

22nd May 2016

I love the 12, 15, 18. Reasonably priced. Me and couple of my friends shared this. It is good to drink but will never ever spend so much for this 21.

15th May 2016

Its not a question of price, its just not a good whisky... Waste of time... 21 years time

I love rum and I love whisky and was enthusiast finding this bottle...but its just not a good whisky... Something went wrong in the process...

24th February 2016

This is far and away my favorite scotch, incredibly smooth and wonderful taste. In my opinion it is vastly superior to other scotch in the same price range such as the Balvenie doublewood 17 and much better than the more expensive Mcallan 18 and Blue label. Do yourself a favor and buy this.

25th December 2015

I prefer 15/18 better.

21st December 2015

I know it to be a fine and mature whiskey.

11th December 2015

I love the 12 and 15 years. 18 years is great. I bought this last week at my local exclusive whisky shop (only place I have seen this). It was very expensive and same as airport price but wanted to try it. It is ok I guess as the taste is good but I felt the price needs to be trimmed. Low rating due to price vs taste. Pulteney 21 was good buy and tasted way better.

2nd December 2015

The price is to high and it falls short in all areas. I was not impressed in the slightest and for a 21 Y/O well let's put it this way try the Glenmorangie signet it's slightly cheaper has bags of depth and flavour and practices what it preaches unlike this one a real let down !.

3rd November 2015

If only it was non-chill filtered and bottled at 46% this would have truly been one of the greats!

Overall it's a lovely scotch but for this price range Glengoyne 21 is a much better option

18th July 2015

a bit salty to me! otherwise a good and elegant whisky!

27th May 2015

Watered down to the bare minimum of 40%... and you want how much? Stop insulting your customers Glenfiddich. Eventually they'll catch on.

8th April 2015

This needs a while to open up, but then the complexities will soon follow. I sampled a neat pour in a Glencairn glass, and at first everything is slightly harsh, up front, and one-noted. But after a few minutes came a sweet nose with marshmallow, ripe pear, and honey. Palate is lightly oaked and seems well balanced with some pleasant spice and a smooth finish. More mellow than expected, but you must give it time to get there... perhaps that is the sweetness of the rum casks coming into play? Very smooth and enjoyable, but too pricey in my opinion.

8th February 2015

Tastes full and wide. Seems like it tries to be everything but achieves nothing at the same time. Prefer the 18 Glenfiddich.

15th November 2014

Surprisingly flat and one dimensional. Glenfiddich 15y is far more superior than to the 21y old. There are so many better alternatives at this price range and age.

6th November 2014

Best to let this one mellow with water for an hour or so. It will open up quite a bit to spice, caramel and a cherry/apricot finish. Worth the money. I'd buy it again.

6th March 2014

I only recently began to sample scotch. After having started with several 12 year, 15, and 18 year, I hit the 21. WOW, is an understatement! Full of flavor, no bite, and lingers for a bit on the palate. I gave a sample to three people seated at my table that do not drink anything other than American mass production beer and they were astonished! I will be purchasing a bottle of this for home!

4th February 2014

I just bought my first Bottle today and I had 2 glasses. All I can say is Wow!

28th December 2013

I bought two bottles of this, intending to keep them, but began to get concerned when I saw such a variation in prices (anything from €85 to €150). I did a tasting session the other night with a dozen or so colleagues; all French speakers, but very interested in and appreciative of Scottish Single Malts. We ended up trying a total of 10 different whiskies, including this one and I must tell you that this finished dead-last. No-one liked it, including me. (Best on the night, by the way, were the Bowmore Mariner 15YO and the Laphroaig Quarter Cask, with the Bowmore 100° Proof and the Glenlivet 21YO not far behind.)

4th December 2013

I was expecting a little more rum flavour,

9th October 2013

Why is it Rum finishes are sold out quickly? or at least it seems so to me. I told 2 guys about this and they are ordering as I speak. I have to quit telling my friends about run finished whisky!

18th February 2013

Just bought me a bottle, in my opinion this is a really nice dram.

12th February 2013

The rum twist does add something but as a regular drinker of the Glenfiddich 15 year Solera vat it lacks something extra for the extra cost. Solera average £30 per bottle, rum finish £80 per bottle!

3rd February 2013

This is indeed a great dram. It's smooth and buttery, and adding a good amount of water brings out these two characteristics very well. I could happily spend an evening "investigating" its various flavours.

Can't agree about it being sweet though. Sweeter than your average oaky 21 year old perhaps, but not like bourbon or Glenmorangie Astar.

18th December 2012

I dont know

24th August 2012

A superb partnership, and one full of structure, silky smoothness & lingering flavors. I was expecting much less because of other reviews, and was overwhelmingly surprised with the depth, smoothness, varying levels of intensity, lush rich flavors of vanilla, buttery caramel, and lingering creaminess.
I now wonder who on Earth are those people whom claim they have tasted this Scotch elixir, and could rate it any less than remarkably outstanding,and a must have for any Scotch enthusiast. My score: 95+ out of 100, and so far I have tasted 378 Scotch whisky’s this year and it is only May 02, 2012. For the average suggested retail price of $189.00US, the Glenfiddich 21 Yr Old Gran Reserva Single Malt Scotch Whisky is an absolute bargain. I have 5 bottles and looking for a few more!

I have no affiliation to any person, or company that distills, promotes, or is involved with the sales, distribution, or marketing of any alcoholic product. I am a Scotch enthusiast

4th May 2012

Thought it was out of 5. Here's my real score.

19th March 2011

This has a lovely nose; very sweet with a hint of almond along with the obvious rum. It's super smooth on the mouth but just lacking the big flavour you'd expect. I would have given it a 4 but for the price.

19th March 2011

I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY THIS THE AGEING IN RUM CASKS SOUNDS SO DELECTABLE ITS CAUSING ME TO BE EXCITED I AM IN THE NAVY I AM BUYING ONE AS SOON AS I PULL IN TO PORT.

21st January 2011

Gorgeous. My favourite dram so far! Smoother than silk and the addition of the rum twist really gives it something else. Highly recommended.

5th October 2010