I now introduce a Glenfiddich whisky which is a member of the Cask Collection series available at duty free retail shops.

There are three whiskies in this series. The official descriptions are as follows:
Select Cask: Sweetness, Spice and Citurs
Reserve Cask: Antique Leather, Spice and Oak
Vintage Cask: Smoky, Floral and Intense

My tasted sample was from Vintage Cask.

Glenfiddich Cask Collection Vintage Cask, 700 ml, 40%

Nose: Ashy, little bit salty grass, red apple, brown sugar, licorice
Palate: Rock salt, dark chocolate, toffee, clove
Aftertaste: Medium length, coffee grounds, burnt wood
Comment: Though it is said a lightly peated whisky, it is of island scent and slighty salty and smoky, hardly associated it to a classic Speyside whisky. Not a complex dram but the theme is of clear cut, soft and light with appropriate peat and smoke, an exotic Speysider.

Glenfiddich Vintage Cask (Photo sourced from Internet)

A simple tasting note of an extraordinary whisky.

Glenfiddich 40 years, 2013 Release 9, 600 bottles, 700 ml, 41.7% (tasted on 6/5/14)

Obviously it was a sample as I am well-known the poor that by no mean I can afford a bottle.

This 40 years old Glenfiddich is belonging to the Rare and Vintage Series. This Glenfiddich with a £2,700 price tap is the second but most expensive one in this series. The champion is the 50 years old Glenfidich which is selling for £22,850.

I understood that we should not just focus on price and age for a whisky but however such an expensive old whisky this is indeed a good gossip topic.

Nose: Old wardrobe, dried Chinese date, aged winter honey, sweet preserved ginger, dark chocolate, cinnamon stick, citrus
Palate: Citrus, black coffee, dark chocolate, black tea, aged winter honey, charred preserved plum
Aftertaste: Medium length, toasted coffee, herb, dried citrus peel
Comment: Condense but mild aroma, scent of mature and deepening but still energetic, different aromas flowing out in order, rich and detailing. Very soft and smooth on palate, silky, one of my hated description but no alternative to use it this time. Palate lesser condense than nose, but more robust, slightly sour citrus and toasted sweet & sour plume highlighted from raw coffee and chocolate, aged winter honey sweeten the profile, balancing and detailing. Medium length aftertaste, aromatic toasted coffee, a bit bitterness of herb but still comfortable and chewing. Perfect aroma, smooth and balance palate, comfortable bitterness and toasty aftertaste, an excellent  whisky.

Glenfiddich 40 years (photo from Glenfiddich website)

Glenfiddich 40 years (photo from Glenfiddich website)

Glenfiddich 40 years (photo from Glenfiddich website)

這酒評很簡單，但酒卻不簡單哦。

Glenfiddich 40 years, 2013 Release 9, 600 bottles, 700 ml, 41.7%  (tasted on 6/5/14)

很明顯我喝的是老友送贈的樣本，我這等死窮鬼是買不起的。

這款四十年陳的 Glenfiddich 是屬於 Rare and Vintage 系列，在全線酒款中，按酒價計，除了神壇級賣£22,850的五十年陳外，便算這一款賣£2,700神檯級的四十年陳了。

“喝酒不是喝價錢的，喝酒也不是喝年份(包括vintage 和 age statement)，好些大師如是說，不是嗎?"

你們放過我這窮酒鬼吧，就是窮，買東西要斟酌價錢，買東西要知道實際買了些甚麼。你賣我這 GlenIslayer 二十三年的酒，好歹我也知道這瓶酒桶陳了二十三年之久，買得比那瓶 Bowfiddich 十三年貴也有道理哦。你這瓶無陳年標示 NAS 的 Macallapark Master Signature 賣得比GlenIslayer 23 years 1989 Lion Selection 還要貴?天知道你裡面調了些甚麼哦?你要騙誰哦!?

“別傻了，你不能用蘋果跟榴槤比的哦! 還有，還有，喝酒是要喝調酒的藝術，不是膚淺的喝年份的，又好些大師如是說，對吧?"

對哦，但我知道這是蘋果就不會用榴槤的價錢買哦!就算同樣蘋果對蘋果，榴槤對榴槤，我也要知道對的蘋果是山東富士還是真正日本富士，榴槤是大釘還是貓山王哦。花真金白銀買的東西，要清楚買了些甚麼不為過吧。說真的，這是基本權利吧! 至於好喝不好喝，我自己看清楚才選的，我自己喝了算。押中寶也好，踩地雷也好，在清楚的資料記錄和分析後，這也是一種學習，一種經驗，知道這些廠用那些桶陳多少年可估計到會是甚麼風味，這不也是樂趣嗎?

我還是以既吝嗇且膚淺的態度去喝這款不單止老還要那麼貴的酒吧!

氣味: 舊衣櫃，南棗，舊冬蜜，黑朱古力，糖薑，肉桂條，柑橘
口味: 柑橘，黑咖啡，黑朱古力，黑茶，舊冬蜜，炭燒烏梅
餘蘊: 中等長度，炭燒咖啡，藥草，果皮
結論: 濃郁但和熙的氣味，老舊深沉，但仍有活力，各種香氣緩緩滲出，有條不絮，圓滑細膩，猶如大家族的持家夫人。酒液溫軟幼滑，真的可用我最討厭的字眼，絲絨來作形容，味道沒有氣味的濃厚豐富，但更有活力，微酸的柑橘和甜酸中帶焦香的炭燒烏梅，於甘醇的黑咖啡和純朱古力中非常醒神，老舊的冬蜜帶來甜潤，平衡細緻。中等長度的餘蘊，甘醇的炭燒咖啡，雖則有點藥草的苦，但仍然是舒適耐嚼。滿分的氣味，幼滑細膩平衡的口味，甘苦適度舒適的餘蘊，沒有其他意見了，正到無朋友的高貴熟女。

Glenfiddich 40 years (photo from Glenfiddich website)

Glenfiddich 40 years (photo from Glenfiddich website)

Glenfiddich 40 years (photo from Glenfiddich website)

我現在要介紹的這款 Glenfiddich，是見於免稅店的 Cask Collection 系列酒款。

這系列是一套三款，以下是官方介紹的定位:
Select Cask: Sweetness, Spice and Citurs
Reserve Cask: Antique Leather, Spice and Oak
Vintage Cask: Smoky, Floral and Intense

我喝的樣本是 Vintage Cask

Glenfiddich Cask Collection Vintage Cask, 700 ml, 40%

“為甚麼不全喝三款才作全面介紹?"

哦~ 作為窮酒 L，有甚麼便喝甚麼的了，那有得揀擇。我不擅於埋堆拍馬屁，騙不到甚麼名酒老酒。有這些真心朋友送贈交換回來的樣本喝，已經很滿足的了，起碼是挺直腰骨地喝，喝得很暢快哦!

還是不要葡萄人家了，說回這 Vintage Cask 。根據官方介紹，這款酒是有淡泥煤的風味，分別由歐洲和美洲橡木桶陳的原酒調配，但沒有說明是雪莉還有波本。正路歐洲橡木桶陳的會是雪莉，美洲橡木桶陳的可以是雪莉或波本。

喝喝看怎麼樣的吧。

氣味: 炭灰，微鹹， 青草，紅蘋果，紅糖，甘草
口味: 岩鹽，草灰，黑朱古力，拖肥，丁香
餘蘊: 中等長度，咖啡渣，焦木
結論: 雖則是輕泥煤，但氣味上有些海島氣息，入口亦是鹹鹹煙燻，很難聯想到是 Speyside 的 Glenfiddich。整體不複雜，主題明確，輕淡但適度的泥煤煙燻，不濃重，算是 Speyside  中的異教徒，但又不是邪教，飲得過。

Glenfiddich Vintage Cask (Photo sourced from Internet)