Glenfiddich Caoran Review

“Smoking Is Not Allowed”

Country: Scotland

Region: Highland/Speyside

Brand: Glenfiddich Caoran

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 12 Years

ABV: 40 %

Colour: Yellow Gold (Contains E-150) - Chill Filtered.

Nose: The Alcohol is quite present so be sure to give the Caoran enough time in the glass to develop its Aromas. On the Nose, there are certainly similarities between this Caoran and the standard 12 Years. I find Sweet Barley, Butter Kekse, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Caramel, Heather Honey, Grass, Oak, Orange Peel, Strawberry Jam, Nuts, Pear, Apple, Cinnamon and Ginger. Additionally, the Caoran offers very mild hints of Earthy Peat, Smoke and Salt. 

Palate: Thin and Watery Delivery as was to be expected at 40% ABV. On the Palate, the Caoran is Bitter-Sweet with Dirty Earth, Barley, Heather Honey, Refill Oak, light Vanilla, Orange Peel, Lemon Juice, Pear, PVC Pipe, Nutmeg, Pepper, Cardamom and Licorice. The Palate does not deliver what the Nose promises. No balance at all actually.  

Finish: Short, Dry and slightly Bitter towards the end with Malt, light Vanilla, Caramel, Burnt Straw, Dried Fruits, PVC Pipe, Dirty Earth, Licorice, Oak, light Pepper, light Cardamom and light Nutmeg.

The New Packaging

The Caoran does not improve with added Water. It's already too Thin as it is.

Rating: 79 

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 19.5 - Finish: 19 - Overall: 20

The Original Packaging (A Collector's Item)

General Remarks: The Glenfiddich (Gaelic for Valley of the Deer) Distillery was founded in 1886 by William Grant. It's still owned by the Grant Family today. The Caoran (Peat Embers) revives the Whisky made by Grant in the later stage of World War II when more Peat was used to dry the Barley on account of the shortage of Coal. The Caoran was launched around 2002. I'm tasting a sample today and it does not specify when this batch was bottled. Probably somewhere between 2005 and 2009. During the years two different packaging styles were used. The original "Silver" packaging has become a Collector's Item, even more so since it became known that the Caoran was to be discontinued. Bottles are still available in various places at an average 135 US Dollars (September 2015).

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay

Conclusion: Other Speyside and Highland distilleries have experimented with Peated Barley lately so it's understandable that Glenfiddich tried it out as well. Some of these experiments work and some don't. The latter is the case with the Caoran. The (partly) Peated Barley does not add value to the Glenfiddich Spirit. The Peat and Smoke are hardly noticeable but somehow manage to take out some of the Crisp and Clean characteristics of the Glenfiddich Spirit. No balance whatsoever to be found as well. The Nose is still okay but on the Palate and in the Short Finish this Glenfiddich simply disappoints. The Caoran has been discontinued in the meantime and quite rightly so. No way you should spend over a 100 US Dollars for a Malt like this. Unless you collect rarities!

Jan van den Ende                                                            September 24, 2015

"A Sunny Day in Speyside"