Glenfiddich experiment for the fifth time
The first bottles of the new fifth installment of the experiments that have been taking place for several years at Dufftown, one of the largest distilleries of Scotch whisky, have just appeared in UK liquor stores. After Glenfiddich IPA Experiment, Project XX, Winter Storm and Fire & Cane, it was time for Orchard Experiment. The Speyside whisky producer made us wait almost four years for another experimental edition. The latest addition to the series, Glenfiddich Fire & Cane was released in the summer of 2018.
Glenfiddich Experimental Series #5 Orchard Experiment is a whisky without an age declaration, the so-called NAS, whose final maturation took place in Somerset Pomona Spirit casks. It is a type of distillate based on apple juice and cider, produced in the UK and matured in oak barrels. The new Glenfiddich spent about 4 months maturing in these casks. The whisky was bottled after being diluted to 43%, so it was most likely cold-filtered as well. The cost of buying a single bottle is £42-43.
According to the producer, the new whisky offers in its bouquet notes of fresh pears and ripe fruit from the orchard, and in the taste we can expect - as you can easily guess - also fruit, caramelized apples, but also toffee, oak and spices. The finish is supposed to be long and sweet.
The use of apple liquor casks is doubly significant for this particular edition of whisky. First, the fruit notes from the cask are meant to emphasize and enhance Glenfiddich's fruity profile, in which apple and pear notes usually play first fiddle. The second, extremely important aspect is the use of barrels for maturing Scotch whisky, which not long ago would have been considered unauthorized. The Scotch Whisky Association has only recently, in 2019, allowed the use of a wide range of casks in the whisky maturation process. Previously, it was a requirement that whisky be matured only in barrels that were traditionally used to store whisky. If there was any doubt, the onus was on the manufacturer to prove that the type of barrels chosen had once been used to store, mature, or transport whisky. In practice, this meant a restriction mainly to bourbon barrels, sherry, port, Madeira and various types of wines. It was forbidden to use at least mezcal, tequila or calvados barrels. As of 2019, the use of a wider range of barrels has become possible, and for some time now we have been seeing more and more experiments with calvados or tequila barrels appearing on the market.
It is worth mentioning that the Glenfiddich distillery not long ago received another third production hall, which has allowed the plant to reach a production potential of an almost unbelievable 21 million pure alcohol per year, placing it among the largest producers of Scotch malt whisky. Glenfiddich's core range has been one of its best-selling brands for years, with new offerings appearing on the market time and again. In their development and preparation, Brian Kinsman, Master Buyer of Glenfiddich, proves to be tireless.
Founded in 1886, Glenfiddich distillery is one of the largest producers of Scotch malt whisky. The only competitor in terms of scale of production can only be Glenlivet, located a dozen miles away. Glenfiddich is one of three distilleries, located in Dufftown, in the Speyside region. Just down the road are Balvenie and Kininvie, also owned by the family firm William Grant & Sons. In addition, the company has the Ailsa Bay distillery and the Girvan grain whisky plant, both of which are located in the Lowlands region, slightly south of Glasgow. William Grant & Sons also owns the hugely popular blended and blended malt whisky brands, namely Grant's and Monkey Shoulder. Glenfiddich has repeatedly demonstrated a spirit of innovation and pioneering. As the first, back in the 1960s. last century, it embarked on an intensive promotion of malt whisky (then referred to as "pure malt"), introduced an innovative triangular bottle shape, and was the first to open its doors to tourists.
Glenfiddich has an unusually rich presence in the whisky House Offers Online. We invite you to visit and learn more about what from under the Glenfiddich banner we have to offer before the Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment comes to us as well. We also recommend a wide range of Balvenie.
[16.05.2022 / photo: Glenfiddich]