GLENFIDDICH AND LAPHROAIG IN THE NEWS AGAIN

GLENFIDDICH LAUNCHES GRAND CRU WINE FINISH

Speyside distillery Glenfiddich has released Grand Cru, a 23-year-old single malt finished in cuvée wine casks from France’s Champagne region.

Glenfiddich Grand Cru has been matured in American oak and a small number of ex-Sherry casks, before being finished for four months in a mixture of first-fill and second-fill French oak casks, which ‘have been used in fermenting the wine that will eventually become Champagne’.

The majority of Champagne producers use stainless steel tanks for the primary fermentation of their still wines, although a small handful of producers, including Krug, Bollinger, Lanson and Veuve Cliquot, ferment using oak casks which add a creamy, vanilla quality.

Grand Cru is the first expression in Glenfiddich’s new Grand range, a series of whiskies with ‘a connecting factor of age’ that will continue with second and third releases in 2020.

The Grand range will function separately to Glenfiddich’s Experimental Series, its range of ‘innovation’ whiskies that include Glenfiddich IPA Cask, XX, Winter Storm and Fire and Cane.

Grand Cru is the first Glenfiddich to be finished in French cuvée casks, and was created to ‘play on the liquid synonymous with celebration but that brings the substance and smoothness of single malt to the moment, something that accentuated the floral side of Glenfiddich’. This expression combines the best of Scotland and the best of what France has to offer. Marrying the best of both worlds, the final liquid presents an exceptional finesse and is a special tribute to each individual cuvée cask the malts were finished in.

Bottled at 40% ABV, the whisky is said to contain notes of ‘sweet brioche, pear sorbet, white grape and rich vanilla’. An experiment with maturation time and hand selected 23-year-old Glenfiddich casks out of their unique collection of old age malts provided the breakthrough in getting the balance right. The further influence from the oak of the French cuvée casks added an extra layer of complexity thanks to the liquid they once held.

Priced at £220, Glenfiddich Grand Cru is available in the UK for two weeks as a Harrods-only exclusive, before launching in other specialist retailers and rolling out across Singapore, America, South Africa, Taiwan, global travel retail and the Glenfiddich website.

LAPHROAIG 16 YEAR OLD DEBUTS ON AMAZON

Beam Suntory-owned Islay Scotch brand Laphroaig has unveiled a limited edition whisky that has aged for 16 years in ex-Bourbon barrels.

Laphroaig has produced 900 cases of its new 16 Year Old, which will be available in Europe exclusively through online retailer Amazon and at select US retailers. The whisky’s maturation in ex-Bourbon barrels has softened “the famous signature rich peat smoke” and added flavours of leather and sweet vanilla, the perfect illustration of how Laphroaig’s rich whiskies mellow as they mature. The rear label states that the first-fill ex-bourbon barrels yield a bright gold colour, more intense vanilla flavour and subtle spice notes during the maturation process that perfectly complement Laphroaig’s signature flavour.

The label mentions that Laphroaig 16 Year Old is a limited edition; but their stock of old whiskies is so high that it could well become a permanent addition to Laphroaig’s core range of single malt whiskies. Their inventory comprises of several 15-25 year old expressions.

On the nose, the 16-year-old whisky has notes of “sweet leather, oaky spices, vanilla and wood character”, while the palate is “sweet with treacle and caramel, Manuka honey and thyme but also intense wood smoke, creosote, lots of floral notes of heather and bergamot, and a chilli mouthfeel”.

Just 11,500 bottles have been produced, bottled at 48% ABV. Laphroaig 16 Year Old will be available on Amazon for £89 (US$108) per 700ml bottle from September 10.