Review #545 - Glen Fohdry Fion Frangach French Oak Cask
Glen Fohdry - one of the big box retailer brands or 'Spirits Direct' brands that you might find at stores such as Total Wine. These are often budget-friendly brands which seem to offer a lot of value; conversely, they also face accusations of lower quality and murky provenance. Glen Fohdry is a single malt Scotch brand, specifically from the Speyside region, bottled by the company Quality Spirits International Ltd.
This Glen Fohdry titled 'Fion Frangach' is a non-age stated single malt that employs a double maturation: first, ex-bourbon casks are used, and then a finishing period is done in French oak wine casks. Like the other members of the Glen Fohdry line, this single malt is bottled at 47.1% ABV, and the label states that it's not chill filtered.
Glen Fohdry Fion Frangach French Oak Cask
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price: USD 35 (2025)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 47.1% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon and French oak wine casks
Details: Not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 5 months; bottles at 90% and 50% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Soft, a bit mild - rounded grain and fruit notes like orange and wine. There's a bit of malt, slightly sour malt... vanilla and dry wood arrive later. There's a little bit of bitterness, too - herbal or chemical, but it's soft.
Palate: A medium-thin mouthfeel; a bit mild, borderline watery, but there are some nice oak notes. Brown sugar, cardamom, and caramel add sweetness and baking notes, and there's just a hint of astringent, oxidized red wine in the background. Honey arrives at the end of the palate.
Finish: Brown sugar continues, and it's accompanied by sour malt, some yeasty, freshly baked bread... caramel as well. It's a medium-short finish.
Final Note: There are hints of interesting flavors here with the wine influence, but in the end, it falls a bit flat. The majority of the flavor notes seem to come from the ex-bourbon casks, while the wine notes are much more mild; as it opened up, more youth and spirit notes became apparent, too.
Value is okay - though the flavors are middling, the price is also relatively cheap, so it isn't the worst value in the budget category.
Our Average Rating: 5.3 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.42
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Glen Fohdry reviews:
