A Night to Remember

Glenfiddich Masterclass & Deconstuction

A tasting as rare as some of the Whiskies I was able to try. The first part, was a tasting of the older Glenfiddich expressions. Glenfiddich 18, 21, 26 and the legendary 40 years old. The second part, was a deconstruction of the Glenfiddich 21 years old. This was an incredible opportunity to dive deep into the world of Glenfiddich but also, learn a lot about Whisky making in general.

Part I: A journey into older Glenfiddich

Starting the evening with a Glenfiddich 18 years old was a telling sign of what was to follow. The 18 is a very well balanced Whisky, not challenging you at any point. This doesn't mean it's boring though. There is still a lot going on, but it's very harmonic. Following the 18 was the 21, which was going to take the centre stage in the second part of the evening with its deconstruction. The rum cask finish brings a lot of the darker notes the 21 has. But more on that in the second part. Next up the 26, something completely different from what came before. Having spend all 26 years in American oak casks there is no sherry impact. There are some floral notes I have never before found in a Glenfiddich. The flavours feel a bit sharper then in the 18 or 21 but not unpleasant. What came next was the highlight of not just the evening, but my whole Whisky Journey. The Glenfiddich 40 years old. Holy sh*t. Just nosing it gave me goose bumps. The depth of flavours coming from the nose was incredible. The taste nearly brought tears to my eyes. This Whisky for me, is bordering on perfection. The break between tasting this and part two was needed to digest what I had just tasted.

Part II: Deconstructing the Glenfiddich 21

The second part of the evening put the 21 in focus. What goes into creating this Whisky? First part of the journey: New Make. Glenfiddich new make punches you with that intense fruit note of apples and pears. Those notes for me are a common thread found in all Glenfiddich Whiskies. Next was the comparison of a 21 year old pure ex-bourbon cask sample and a 21 year old pure ex-sherry cask sample. The comparison between American and European oak. While the American oak brought spice to the Whisky, brought some of the darker notes. The unfinished vatting of these two for the 21 year old (Ratio of 80% American and 20% European Oak) on its own would be an excellent Whisky. The end of the deconstruction was a taste of the rum blend used for the finishing cask. Going back to the finished 21 you could see how all those threads were coming together to make the fabric.

At the end, I want to say a big thank you to Markus Heinze (Brand Ambassador for Glenfiddich) for the amazing Masterclass. His knowledge and passion make this an evening to remember.