The Glenfiddich Distillery
Glenfiddich is unquestionably a force to be reckoned with: Named the absolute bestseller of 2018 (and indeed 2017) Glenfiddich is a so-called ‘millionaire’ single malt distiller with 1.22 million 9-liter cases sold a year. As such Glenfiddich reaches far and wide counting both the fastidious and erudite collectors and the newly initiated whisky-lovers as fans.
Glenfiddich single malts are must-have; full of taste and quality, each of them interesting and unique representations of what a single malt whisky can do. The distillery is known for its light and ester-y style, and throughout the years the collection has grown comprehensive with an incredibly diversified range. Currently, the collection is comprised of the following ranges:
- The Core Range
- The Experimental Series
- The Cask Collection
- Special Editions
- Rare & Vintage
As the ranges indicate the collection contains rare and limited editions and likewise experimental releases with more ‘exotic’ finishes as well as vintage editions. To illustrate the experimental and exclusive nature, releases such as the Glenfiddich Vintage Cask and Glenfiddich IPA Experiment are perfect examples. The former is a small batch, double-matured lightly peated whisky, while the latter is the result of a collaboration between Brian Kinsman (Glenfiddich’s Malt Master) and Seb Jones – together they have married single malt with IPA barrels, creating a first-of-its-kind hoppy and zesty single malt.
The Glenfiddich flagship is, however, the Glenfiddich Our Original 12 (previously known as the Glenfiddich 12-Year-Old). It has been the signature since the distillery’s launch back in 1887, and it’s the perfect expression of the characteristic Speyside style with its creaminess and a mellow, smooth and long – by many, the flagship is considered the ‘best dram in the valley’.
The Valley of the Deer
A tell-tale stag adorns the bottles, and Glenfiddich is easily one of the most recognizable whisky brands worldwide. With a 130+ years backstory, The Glenfiddich has accumulated great expertise detectable in the world’s most awarded single malt whisky we know and love.
Like many great ventures, Glenfiddich began as a vision and is the result of founder William Grant’s lifelong ambition. The original William Grant passed away in 1923 by which point his company William Grant & Sons had grown into a successful business housing several distilleries. Today Glenfiddich is still family-owned by William Grant & Sons Ltd. with Grant-descendants at the wheel.
Glenfiddich opened in 1887 in Grant’s hometown of Dufftown in the Scottish region of Speyside. The distillery is today located there, and its proud heritage is quite evident. ‘Glenfiddich’ is Gaelic for ‘valley of the deer’, and the bottle design with the stag on the label is the clear identifier. Recently the distillery has initiated the redesigning of its brand, which mainly encompasses The Core Range, where the flagships’ bottles and names have been freshened up – but the stag and the Glenfiddich heritage is very much still reflected.
Glenfiddich has evolved a fair amount throughout its 130+ year lifespan: Looking through its history there are a fair amount of interesting developments, which might explain how the distillery 1) still exits and flourishes, and 2) is the bestselling single malt distiller worldwide.
With William Grant’s death in 1923, his grandson Grant Gordon manages to increase the production despite being in the middle of prohibition. By the end of prohibition, Glenfiddich stands strong as one of six Scottish distilleries still open with fine, aged whiskies ready to meet and greet the new demand.
In modern terms, the 1963-evolution to introduce the world to single malt is a ground-breaking one. Their single malt had up until then been a ‘secret’ kept within the Scottish borders, and this new focus was, of course, the beginning of a whole new Glenfiddich.
The Art of the Craft
Like any whisky distiller, Glenfiddich is very proud of the way they craft their single malt whiskies. However, as one of the few distilleries, Glenfiddich still has their own coppersmith and cooperage on-site, and both aspects are crucial in securing the quality of the products. Casks are, for instance, responsible for 65 % of whisky’s flavor, which makes the coopers incredibly influential on the whiskies bottled into the 1.22 million yearly cases.
The undisputed advantage by being a family-owned business is how the generations of craftsmen have passed down their specialist knowledge, old whisky-wisdom, and rare skills. Today that naturally means that every bottling is done on the back of immense experience and expertise, and everything is released with great care and judgment. Glenfiddich’s Malt Master is, of course, the one in charge: Malt Masters are able not only to nose and taste, but also to develop outstanding whiskies, and this demands a dedication, drive and skill innate to the Master.
Currently, Brian Kinsman presides the responsibility to marry casks and create both consistency and harmony and then eventually decide whether or not a whisky is ready to be bottled.
As is the case with the distilleries craftsmen, the Malt Masters inherit experiences and knowledge from the ones before them, which essentially means that every glass of Glenfiddich single malt encompasses 130+ years worth of wisdom.
Manifested Wisdom: The Glenfiddich Collection
At the moment (September 2019) the collection contains 36 single malts, and the collection represents both young and aged whiskies. The distillery has a 13,000,000-litre capacity, and they have 32 stills in use. The distillations are based on locally grown barley, and to mature the whiskies Glenfiddich uses ex-bourbon American oak, but also Caribbean ex-rum casks and Spanish sherry butts.
Every range offers exploration and innovation; the collection is in a constant motion of development, which is made both clear and possible by the limited edition releases and small batch production of rare and unique single malts. Albeit exploratory the underpinning and crucial principles of quality and consistency ring true with every bottling – a fact, The Glenfiddich Distillery is known for the world over.
The Core Range is home to four flagship single malts categorized by their ages: 12, 15, 18 and 21. Due to a recent and undergoing revamp of the range’s branding the bottle design and naming have changed a bit – the iconic 12 Year Old is now branded as Our Original 12, while the 15-year-old core single malt is presented as Our Solera Fifteen. Naturally, the stag and original design features are still there, but now in a more contemporary and forward-looking.
Glenfiddich isn’t only looking ahead in the way of design, but also in the way of production methods. This is made quite apparent with their Experimental series with which the distiller’s philosophy of freedom and possibility is manifested through the range’s inventive single malts.
Glenfiddich Project XX exemplifies the range rather well – it’s the result of no less than 20 excellent whisky-minds knocking their heads together. Interestingly, the project was not even known those involved were aware of the experiment until the process was halfway done.
The Cask Collection is rare in the sense its only available in travel retail outlets, and the range is unique in the way that the whiskies are made in the Glenfiddich-unique Solera Vat process. Solera Vats are used to marry the contents of individual casks, specifically chosen for the job by the Malt Master.
The marrying process makes for distinctively smooth, polished and complex single malts. For example, the Glenfiddich Reserve Cask is matured in sherry casks before being married in Solera Vats, where complementary flavors meld together in an exceptional consistency and create a single malt of immense quality.
Within Special Editions, Glenfiddich presents their… Special editions! This is an extensive and limited range of special occasion single malts. The whiskies in this range tell stories, celebrate voyages or mark great accomplishments.
When the distillery’s warehouse was hit with a massive snowstorm, Glenfiddich saw the opportunity the make the best out of an unfortunate situation: the Oloroso and American oak casks most dramatically hit by the snow were chosen, and after a marrying process Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix was created, quite by chance.
Another release within this range was unquestionably more planned. Glenfiddich 125th Anniversary Edition was created and released to mark Glenfiddich’s impressive history and lifespan. Not knowing how Glenfiddich tasted under the founder’s, William Grant, reign, Malt Master Brian Kinsman has set out to recreate a flavor profile comparable to the taste of a Victorian Speyside malt.
In the Rare & Vintage range, Glenfiddich introduces the oldest and most exclusive single malts of their collection. The range has gems such as the Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve, which honors the lady of the same name who lived to be the oldest ever Scot – Janet Sheed also happened to be the last living grandchild of William Grant. A mere 11 bottles of 55-year-old single malt was bottled, all of which raised £400,000 in a charity auction.
Also among the fascinating range is the Glenfiddich Ultimate, created to represent the pinnacle of the entirety of Glenfiddich’s accomplishments. This very rare release is a 38-year-old single malt produced in small settings and exclusively available in Chinese outlets, and it’s also especially recognizable by its luxurious and ornate design with a weighty crystal stopper.
The collection is host to impressive ranges, and brief introductions aren’t enough: You owe it to yourself to explore the Glenfiddich Distillery. Tradition, heritage, quality, and exclusivity are characterizing elements – and the proof is in the pudding: Glenfiddich is the number 1 bestseller of single malt whisky on a global scale. There’s a good reason for that.