
September 28, 2016

Experimental Glenfiddich

Glenfiddich are delving into NAS too, and they certainly do know that if you go NAS, you need stories. Yeah, or low prices, but we’re too early for that in 2016, so we rather get funny stories and very elaborate/upgraded packagings for the time being. Such as these…

Glenfiddich ‘IPA Experiment’ (43%, OB, 2016)

This funny baby’s finished in casks that had been previously treated with bespoke IPA (India Pale Ale beer). Some say it’s just a legal way of aromatizing your whisky (since you can’t add anything to your whisky, you add it to some regular barrels and then fill them with your whisky), but of course we’re in front of a much more elaborate concept today. Aren’t we? Colour: pale gold. Nose: noses like the 12. The 12 is a good whisky. Overripe apples, barley, vanilla, sponge cake, and beer. IPA? Perhaps… Mouth: it’s got some oomph, some pepper, some ginger, some vanilla, more ginger, and indeed a beer-like side. But many young malt whiskies have beer-like sides. Whether you could call this baby a hoppy malt remains to be seen, and if it’s hop, it’s rather grassy hop, we’re far from, say fruity Californian IPAs. Finish: medium, a little bitter, but that’s quite pleasant. Bitter grapefruit. Very dry/sour aftertaste. Comments: I had thought it would be much fruitier. What’s good is that this new ‘experiment’ isn’t too expensive, around £45. The bottle is superb. SGP:361 - 78 points.

Glenfiddich ‘Project XX’ (47%, OB, 2016)

Another NAS, so another story, and despite the name, it’s got nothing to do with a mid-1970s Italian erotic/Sci-Fi movie, mind you. This time it’s twenty brand ambassadors (you know, our very friendly… err, friends) that selected twenty casks (how convenient) that have then been vatted together. I find the bottle as lovely as the IPA’s, they did put a lot of effort into the packaging. At £50, I’m sure my dearest concierge will buy one; Christmas trees, get ready! Colour: gold. Nose: more action. More complex, with a heavier fruity style, figs, raisins, some fresh butter, a lovely maltiness, many cakes, kugelhopf, yellow flowers, a touch of heather honey, then fresh oranges… I really find this nose lovely. Mouth: much more classic than the IPA, with more depth, and something that reminds me of the older 15 yo Cask Strength. Cakes and raisins, apple pie, artisan cider, then a bigger tannicity. Indeed it is rather tannic, in the style of some rural young Calvados. Finish: quite long, quite tannic, quite spicy, but the apples and the dryish raisins are keeping the freshness. Comments: the most Glenfiddich of them two. I may have to speak with my concierge. SGP:451 - 82 points.

Check the index of all Glenfiddich I've tasted so far

Pete McPeat and Jack Washback