The Contour of Luxury Spring/Summer 2018 | Page 151
Alexis Day
The Glenfiddich brand is steeped in strong
family ties with William Grant starting at the
helm. It is impressive that since 1886 William
Grant’s dream to make the ‘best dram in the
valley’ has manifested into the prestigious G
lenfiddich
brand that it is today. What is the number one factor that
kept the Glenfiddich brand consistent for over 100 years?
Glenfiddich
When we talk about single malt distilleries that are in existence in Scotland
today, we have well over 100 now producing Scotland’s famous liquid.
Glenfiddich is one of only a handful of these distilleries that is still run by
the same family who built it back in 1887. The Grant family still has complete
control over everything that happens at the distillery and throughout its 131 years
of e
xistence it has never changed hands. What this means is that the way Glenfiddich
is made today essentially has not changed since William Grant created the distillery
back in 1887. One of the main reasons that it is the worlds most awarded Single Malt
Scotch Whisky.
Alexis Day
The Glenfiddich family’s philosophy of freedom and possibilities, to create a range
of ground-breaking single malts gave way to push whiskey boundaries and challenge
tradition. With that came the shrewd decision to collaborate with like-minded industry
mavericks, which ultimately spawned The Experimental Series. To date, there are three
expressions in the series, which includes the pioneering expression: The Glenfiddich India Pale Ale
Cask Finish. Certainly, the Glenfiddich innovation isn’t going to stop there, can you share with us
what we have to look forward to next in the Experimental Series?
Glenfiddich
The Experimental Series reflects the maverick spirit of Glenfiddich. Back in 1963 the family
was the first to market a Single Malt Scotch whisky in the form of Glenfiddich; prior to this the
world only knew Blended Scotch Whisky. The Experimental series takes Glenfiddich and Scotch
whisky into new territories. The India Pale Ale Cask expression is the first time that a Single Malt
Scotch Whisky has used a beer cask in the maturation process. The third experiment in the series,
Winter Storm, has used ice wine casks from Canada to give this 21 year old more depth and flavor,
again another first within the Scotch world. Right now there are more experiments underway but I
have been sworn to secrecy on what they are. The only thing I can say is that Glenfiddich will keep
pushing the boundaries of what you expect from a Scotch Whisky.