It's remarkable how Glenfiddich, despite being a titan in the Scotch whisky world with the world's best-selling single malt while operating Scotland's largest single malt distillery, has managed to stay firmly in the hands of the founding family since William Grant first opened the distillery doors in 1886. Family ownership might just be the reason behind the consistent quality of their product over the recent decades. When your family name is associated with the whisky, there's extra motivation to prioritise quality and long-term reputation over profits and shareholder interests in the short term.

It is a brand that proudly celebrates its heritage and its pioneering strides in Scotch whisky production. Yet, perhaps its most defining trait is its accessibility and versatility. There's no pretension or ostentation about Glenfiddich – it has a certain quiet confidence that lets the spirit speak for itself.

Glenfiddich's Grand Series is where things get particularly interesting for Scotch buffs. This collection is all about pushing the boundaries in Scotch maturation, exploring unconventional casks finishes to add complexity and a touch of luxury.

The collection began in 2011 with the Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Grand Reserva, finished in Caribbean rum casks for a warm spiced and tropical twist. The collection has gradually expanded to include progressively older and more exotic expressions with the Glenfiddich 23 Year Old Grand Cru, enhanced by French cuvée casks; the 26 Year Old Grande Couronne, enriched with French Cognac casks; and last year, the limited edition 29 Year Old Grand Yozakura which marks the first Scotch single malt finished in Japanese awamori casks – a 600-year-old Japanese spirit made from Thai indica rice in Okinawa (read more about awamori here!).

I should add that the distillation process at Glenfiddich seems perfectly suited to these innovative cask finishes. Glenfiddich's Master Blender Brian Kinsman has explained, the distillation process gives a spirit that is inherently light and fruity, free of heavy sulphur compounds. Whereas many Scotch distillers traditionally rely on oak maturation to filter out these heavier compounds to achieve a balanced aged spirit, Glenfiddich’s distillation process systematically minimises these heavier compounds to distil a spirit more receptive to additive maturation, and that allows the subtleties of cask finishes to shine through.

Just last month, Glenfiddich unveiled the latest addition to their Grand Series in Singapore – the limited edition Glenfiddich Grand Château. After two decades of maturation in American oak casks, this whisky is given an extended finishing period of nine years in French Bordeaux red wine casks – a first for Glenfiddich.

Interestingly, Glenfiddich has also opted to retail only a limited number of bottles with a pretty Toile De Jouy-print display box designed by French street artist and luxury brand designer, André Saraiva. The display box features Saraiva’s signature ‘Mr.A’ character and vibrant street mural-style art on the inner side.

I recently had the pleasure of spending a late morning sampling this expression with Glenfiddich’s Regional Malts Ambassador Jyri down at The Distillers Library, an invite-only space by William Grant & Sons in Singapore.

Here’re my notes!

Glenfiddich Grand Château 31 Year Old Bordeaux Wine Cask Finish Single Malt, 47.6% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Nose: Lush, rounded, fruity with festive oak spices. Opening with the honeyed sweetness of stewed apples and poached pears while warm spices of anise and nutmeg intertwine with sweet and lightly tart caramelised pineapples. The red wine cask influence brings a light layer of stewed cherries, strawberries and orange blossoms along with fragrant wood polish, while a light nutty sweetness gradually emerges, remind me of toasted almond flakes on an almond Danish pastry. After sitting for a few minutes, the whisky reveals a certain aged balsamic character and a hint of plums - this tangy sweetness with a backdrop of European oak. It’s followed by continued notes of smooth, aromatic woodiness, a bittersweet and slightly resinous character with that varnished wood quality, some bitter chocolate and a mild mustiness of a well-worn antique leather chair.

Palate: Rounded, rich and lightly herbaceous, with a thick body and a pleasantly waxy texture. Soft sweet stewed red apples and stewed cherries mingle with the nutty sweetness of marzipan, spiced honey, and a warming note of nutmeg. This gradually gives way to hot cocoa powder and dark chocolate, adding depth and complexity.

Finish: Rather prolonged a finish with more mature European oak notes with that delicate, polished quality. Sweet stewed cherries and red apples accompanied by aromatic cedar wood, cinnamon bark and dried lavender lead to a final flourish of vanilla cream and cocoa powder. Pairing this with dark chocolate brings out more cherries and lots of savouriness of salted roasted nuts.

My Thoughts:

This is a Glenfiddich with finesse, elegance and significantly more aromatic oak. It retains the classic Glenfiddich DNA with its balanced influences of European oak that show up in older expression. And rather than purely adding novelty, the Bordeaux cask influence feels right at home with stewed red fruits, dark chocolate, a warm festive spicy kick and a very memorable aroma of polished oakiness that shows up much more prominently on the nose and in the retronasal aromas. You would recognise the red wine cask influence, but it is so well-integrated and harmonised in a way that feels like it has always belonged with Glenfiddich. After taking a bite of a large piece of dark chocolate at Jyri’s insistence, I also start getting more ripe cherry notes and a light savouriness out of the whisky.

The Grand Château is an impressive limited edition expression. Bottles are now available in Singapore with more information on the official website.

@CharsiuCharlie