Glen Fohdry 12 Year Review

Glen, a popular term in the world of scotch. Glenfiddich and Glenlivet, Glen Ness, Glen Grant, Glenmorangie, Glen Moray, Glen Fohdry, and countless others are names of various scotch whiskies. Glen is a Gaelic word for ‘valley’, and since there are many hills in Scotland, there are many valleys, too. So, Glen Fohdry comes to us from the valley of Fohdry.

In this Glen Fohdry 12 review, we’re going to cover some of the basics of scotch whisky and Glen Fohdry history, as well as taste, price, abv and more. So, if you’re new to the world of scotch, or if you’re just looking for a breakdown of tasting notes, keep on reading.

Glen Fohdry History

Glen Fohdry is a single malt scotch produced by Quality Spirits International. QSI does not actually distill and whisky, so there is no Glen Fohdry distillery. Instead, QSI sources a single malt from a distillery, bottles it, and sells it.

William Grant & Sons is the parent company of Quality Spirits International, so it’s likely that the whisky comes from one of their distilleries.

Glen Fohdry is a Total Wine Spirits Direct whisky. This means that Total Wine purchases Glen Fohdry in bulk directly from them, cutting out any middle man. That allows Total Wine to sell this at the cheapest possible price.

Glen Fohdry 12 Overview

• Spirit: Speyside Single Malt Scotch
• Owned By: Quality Spirits International
• Distilled By: Unknown
• Aged: 12 Years
• ABV: 47.1%, 94.2 proof
• Mashbill: 100% malted barley
• Price: $45

We’ll touch on what it means to be a Speyside single malt here in a second, but before we do, let’s cover some other things quickly.

Quality Spirits International is actually registered under William Grant & Sons’. William Grant & Sons’ is one of the largest producers of Scotch and own brands such as Glenfiddich, Monkey Shoulder, The Balvenie, and many others as well as many distilleries. QSI also produces a scotch under the brand Grangestone, and people believe that it’s distilled at Kininvie Distillery, so it may be likely that Glen Fohdry is distilled there, too.

Glen Fohdry is bottled at 94.2 proof (47.1% ABV), so it’s a decent bit stronger than most other scotch whiskies that aren’t cask strength options. A 750ml bottle will also cost you $45 at Total Wine, which may be the only store that carries it.

Where is Speyside?

Speyside is a region inside the highlands of Scotland, on the north eastern coast. Specifically, this region is named after the River Spey, and any distillery or scotch that uses the River Spey, or any streams or tributaries branching from the River Spey, as their source of water is qualified to label their scotch as coming from ‘Speyside’.

While it is a region within the Highlands, and is technically a part of the Highlands, Speyside is generally regarded as it’s own whisky making region of Scotland.

What is a Single Malt Scotch?

Single malt scotch whisky is quite simple. First, the whisky must be produced at a single distillery. Second, the mashbill must contain 100% malted barley, Third, no colorings or additives can be added to the whisky other than water.

If you’re looking for more information on the different types of scotch or whisky, check out our more in depth article on all the types of whiskey!

Glen Fohdry 12 Year Tasting Notes

Alright, it’s time to get to my favorite part. Let’s pour ourselves a dram and find out if Glen Fohdry 12 is good!

Nose: Light fruits is the first thing I notice with a good amount of honey. Pear and strawberry and some dusty malt.

Palate: There’s a little more oak and malt on the palate than I expected based on the nose. There’s still a good amount of candied fruit on the palate. There’s a little more fruit and less wood with a splash of water. A good mouthfeel to it as well.

Finish: A decent finish that is very easy. The fruit stays throughout the whole finish.

Taste Summary

This is a decent whisky. The fruit flavors are strongest on the nose and finish, but it’s certainly not lacking on the palate either. The more it sits, the more dusty wood I get which comes from the barrel and the malt.

At 47.1% ABV, it’s a n easy whisky to drink as well. The flavors are well rounded, the mouthfeel is nice, and there’s no sharpness to it.

Value

A lot of distilleries/brands/beverage companies in Scotland will release something like this. A 12 yr old “budget” scotch that they’re able to sell for a cheaper price than a lot of the other whisky they produce.

We say “budget” scotch because this is still a $45 bottle at Total Wine, and I believe just a couple years ago it was closer to the $35 price point.

There’s nothing wowing me with Glen Fohdry 12, but certainly nothing off-putting either. I’d drink this whiskey any given day, and I really have nothing bad to say about it. However, at $45 it’s just not a whisky I’m going to be buying. I much prefer Aberlour 12 which is similarly priced, maybe a couple bucks more than Glen Fohdry 12.

Glen Fohdry 12 Summary

There’s two stories to Glen Fohdry. One, it’s a whisky that operates under an umbrella of QSI and William Grant & Sons, yet we don’t actually know where it’s distilled. You miss out on the storied history of scotch whiskey and scotch distilleries. With that, you’re paying $45, so it doesn’t stand out in the price range either. I like to know what I’m drinking and where it’s from – I mean, that’s one of the reason I review whiskey.

The second story is about the whisky. I mean, who cares where it’s from if it’s good right? Glen Fohdry 12 packs candied fruit, honey, malt, and oak into an easy sipping whisky that clocks in at 47.1% ABV. What’s not to like about that?

I won’t keep a bottle of Glen Fohdry around at all times, but I can confidently say that it’s good and that you’ll likely enjoy it!