Glenfiddich Solera Reserve 15 Years Old
70cl / 40%
£99.00
- Malt type: Single Malt
- Region: Speyside
- Chilfiltered: Yes
- Coloring: Yes
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Iconic Speyside single malt marrying bourbon, sherry and new oak before long rest in the never-emptied Solera Vat first filled in 1998.
At-a-Glance
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Distillery / Bottler / Country & Region | Glenfiddich, Dufftown, Speyside, Scotland |
| Category | Single malt Scotch whisky |
| Age / Vintage / Bottled | 15 Years Old / ongoing since late 1990s Solera launch; multiple packaging eras |
| ABV & Size(s) | 40% ABV, 70cl core; 1L for travel retail; earlier 43% 70cl/75cl bottles also exist |
| Cask / Treatment | Matured in European oak sherry casks, ex-bourbon casks and new oak, then married in a Solera Vat that is never fully emptied |
| Natural Colour | Not stated by the producer |
| Non-Chill-Filtered | Not stated by the producer |
| Cask Strength | No |
| Bottle count / Outturn | Core-range, continuous production |
| Intended channel | Global premium retail, gifting, travel retail |
| Packaging | Triangular Glenfiddich bottle, gold/burgundy Solera livery, box/tube varies by era |
| Notes on discrepancies | Old-bottle 43% versions trade higher; current standard is 40% and should be listed as such. |
Historical Context
Glenfiddich spent the 1990s proving that big-volume single malt could still innovate. The 15 Year Old Solera was the clearest expression of that: a three-cask recipe (European sherry for fruit and spice, bourbon for vanilla and distillery character, and new oak for extra sweetness) all married in a vat that is never emptied, echoing solera systems used in Jerez. That vat was first charged in 1998 and, as the brand likes to say, it has never been allowed to run dry. The result is a 15-year-old that is recognisably Glenfiddich (pear, honey, gentle oak) but rounder, spicier and more layered than the 12, while staying at an accessible strength for a global audience. Retailers across Europe and the UK continue to offer it as the brand’s “clever” mid-tier malt, and old-bottle 43% versions now sit in a slightly higher collector/nostalgia bracket.
Technical Specification & Variant Map
2.1 Documented variants
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15 Year Old Solera Reserve, 40% ABV, 70cl, current packaging.
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15 Year Old Solera Reserve, 40% ABV, 1L, travel retail.
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15 Year Old Solera, old-bottle/early 2000s, 43% ABV, 70cl/75cl, darker livery.
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Gift-box formats with glasses, same liquid.
Variant Matrix
| ABV | Volume | Market | Era cues | Relative desirability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43% | 70cl/75cl | Early Solera / old bottle | Darker/gold-heavy pack, pre-standardisation | Highest (collector-led) |
| 40% | 70cl | Current UK/EU/global | Green/gold or burgundy carton, Solera story on back | Core / easiest to sell |
| 40% | 1L | Travel retail | Taller bottle, travel SKU | Value for drinkers |
2.2 Packaging & authenticity checklist
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Front must say Glenfiddich, 15 Years Old and Solera (Solera Reserve or current wording).
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Confirm ABV from label photo; do not assume 43%.
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Carton or tube should match the era you are describing; if you pair an old bottle with a new box, note it.
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Travel-retail 1L often has small duty-free markers or a slightly different outer; this is fine, but describe it.
2.3 Regulatory/terminology notes
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15 Years Old is a legal age statement.
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“Solera” here is a production/marriage method and not a separate category.
-
Colouring and chill filtration are both permitted and likely used at this scale.
Liquid Profile (from verifiable notes)
Nose: Honey and heather, ripe orchard fruit, sultanas and cinnamon from the sherry component, vanilla from the bourbon wood, and a mellow oak sweetness.
Palate: Silky and layered at 40%, showing baked apple, raisins, light toffee, nutmeg/clove spice, and a good core of Glenfiddich malt. The solera marrying smooths out edges so it feels more integrated than the 12.
Finish: Medium to medium-long, warm, slightly drying with sweet spice, raisins and gentle oak.
With water: Only a few drops needed; pushes the sherry fruit forward and softens the oak.
Distillery/Bottler Snapshot
Glenfiddich is family-owned, high-volume and very consistent on wood and vatting. The 15 is the range’s “process story” bottle, and that has given it unusual longevity. The continued presence of the Solera Vat, plus the three-cask recipe, means even later bottles can be described with confidence from the distillery’s own notes.
Sourcing
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Target current 70cl 40% in clean carton for fast-turn retail.
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List old 43% as a separate SKU with ABV and era called out.
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Avoid mismatched photos (old bottle, new box) unless you explain it.
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Buying close to 45–48 GBP leaves room to list in the high 50s; old-bottle buys in the 60s can be listed near 85 GBP.
