Feature EXPERIENCE
“American White oak is grown in flatter
lands than Spanish oak, and is exposed to
more extreme temperatures. It has less tannins – so less of that peppery bite – and it's
very sweet because it has lignin, and when
you char the casks that lignin breaks down
and creates vanillin, which gives you that
toffee, vanilla, caramel sweetness,” explains
Ian. “American oak is good because it better showcases the naked flavour of an individual distillery. European oak, because it
is previously used for sherry, can tend to
overwhelm the flavour of the whisky, as 65
% of the flavour comes from the oak that
the whisky is matured in.”
The result is a whisky with a light, but
beautifully intense flavour. It boasts a delicate
floral nose with hints of spice and vanilla
sweetness on the palate. “The 25 Year Old has
been matured in a combination of European
and American oak, but with the 26 Year Old
we wanted to create something completely
different. After 26 years exclusively in
American oak it has a lovely grapefruit citrus,
grassy flavour on the palate, without the
peppery bite of European oak. It’s light, it’s
delicate and it’s delightful,” says Ian. It also
looks the part, as it is packaged in an opulent
purple presentation box and finished off with
an oak stopper reminiscent of the bourbon
casks in which it was matured.
While the 26 Year Old is certainly at
the pinnacle of whisky sophistication, Ian
maintains that whisky lovers are guaranteed
of a special experience whatever bottle of
Glenfiddich they choose to sample. “Anything
that has the Glenfiddich name on it will come
with an expected reliability,” he says. “So if
you open any bottle of Glenfiddich, it doesn’t
matter what expression it is, you know
that you’re going to get something good.”
Likewise, any bottle of Glenfiddich comes
with a distinct sense of status which comes
from the renewed emergence of a strong
whisky culture around the world,
as well as an appreciation of single
malts. “If you stand at the corner bar
with a big, chunky glass of whisky,
you’re making a statement.
If you stand at the corner bar with
a fluted glass with shrubbery and
umbrellas hanging out of it, you’re
also making a statement!” says
Ian. “Status comes from what you
choose as you walk towards the
bar. I would be happy to order my
whisky on the way to the bar – ‘I’ll
have a Glenfiddich, 15 please’ – and
I don’t care who hears me because
I am proud to ask for that. Whereas
if I want a vodka, I may wait until I
am at the bar and then whisper it to
the bartender and ask him to make
it look like a whisky!”
So the next time you’re out on the
town and wanting to impress those
around you, don your best outfit,
stand up a little straighter, and say
in your poshest accent: “I’ll have a
Gelnfiddich 26, please”.
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