Glenfiddich, the world’s most awarded single malt Scotch whisky brand, has collaborated with French artist André Saraiva for the launch of Grand Château, its newest Grand Series limited edition whisky and first ever whisky featuring Bordeaux red wine casks. Last week, Malt Master Brian Kinsman told Drinks Trade that the whisky didn’t turn out exactly as expected. It is partly for this happy surprise that he describes it as one of the whiskies he is most proud of having made during his 27 year career at William Grant & Sons.
“It’s so good. I love that whole thing of no plan and the plan slowly evolves over a very long time, and it’s led by how amazing the whisky is,” Kinsman told Drinks Trade.
“Essentially, we took these amazing quality casks and we put some 22 year old Glenfiddich into them, not really thinking this is going to do something. It just felt like, the experience I had on wine casks and the flavour of 22 year old would work. Then every year we looked at them, it just got better and better.”
Glenfiddich Grand Château 31 Year Old spent its first 22 years ageing in American oak prior to a further nine years spent in red wine casks from Bordeaux. Originally, the Bordeaux casks were only intended to be used for a finishing process of around six months.
Brian Kinsman explained: “The way we do cask finishes is you track them monthly. After a few months you track them three monthly. After a few months you track them six monthly and eventually you’re just looking at them annually just to see. Literally it was every time they came [up], we were like wow, this is just so good. The whisky’s now been in for nine years so it’s 31 year old, it’s had a nine year extended (what you might call) ‘finish’.”
The whisky has an abv of 47.6% and is available now from luxury whisky retailers globally at an RRP of $2,930. Additionally, Australian residents are also invited to participate in this ballot for a chance to purchase one of the limited-edition whiskies. Entries are open now and close on 30 October.
William Grant & Sons provided describe Glenfiddich Grand Château 31 Year Old as follows:
Nose: Warm cocooning vanilla slowly unveils fruity, floral notes of beautifully ripe cassis berries, and piquant nutty aromas
Taste: Indulgent and rich, flavours of slowly caramelised cherries and apples intertwine with an unmistakable warming spice and toasted oak
Finish: Everlasting depth and character
Colour: Distinctive reddish hue
ABV: 47.6% non-chill filtered
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More insights from Drinks Trade’s recent chat with Brian Kinsman will be posted to the website soon.
