GLENFIDDICH ORCHARD EXPERIMENT NO 5

 Glenfiddich's Orchard: The First From Pomona Casks

Glenfiddich's much touted Experimental Series, which started off on the wrong foot with the debut of an IPA maturation Scotch that didn’t really take off, hit the mark with its second installment, The Product XX, a blend by a collaboration of 20 Brand Ambassadors from 16 countries to produce a secret Scotch. Then there was also the highly popular, if expensive, Winter Storm which was matured in Icewine casks. The steep price limited batch size, but most shelves soon ran dry, calling for a second batch. Glenfiddich obliged. Malt Master Brian Kinsman then turned to produce a peated whisky, not a typical style for Glenfiddich, the Fire & Cane, unexpectedly smoky but with a hit of toffee sweetness. This result came about after a marriage of their rarely-seen peated whisky with unpeated bourbon-aged single malt, all of which was finished in Latin rum casks. What one got was a surprisingly sweet and smoky dram that blended rich caramel and spice notes with fresh green fruit and soft pillowy smoke. It is not an everyday drinking dram, but a drinkable and unique whisky to enjoy on occasion.

Brian is now back with #05, The Glenfiddich Orchard. This bottling is also 43% ABV and is a pioneering single malt Scotch whisky. It is the first in its history to be finished in Somerset Pomona Spirit casks, born out of craft, tradition, and desire for experimentation.

Discover where the sweetness of Somerset's apple orchards meets Scotland's wild and rugged landscape. This innovative 70cl single malt celebrates and elevates the Glenfiddich sweet and fruity signature style by bringing together two iconic families. Glenfiddich Orchard combines Temperley's apple cider brandy and Grant's Scotch whisky to create this exquisite blend. Hand-selected Glenfiddich whiskies are finished in casks from the Somerset Cider Brandy Company, previously holding sweet Somerset Pomona, for approximately four months to create this incredible fruity and sweet whisky.

Together, they create a Scottish whisky bathed in the sweet warmth of an English summer's day. This truly unique Glenfiddich expression is a tale of two Maverick families, sure to delight whisky and cider enthusiasts alike. It is available as a 70cl bottle in an exclusive gifting tube for an exquisite year-round gifting experience.

For those outside the UK, Somerset Pomona is a type of apple liqueur made in the UK that is named after the Roman goddess of fruit and is basically a blend of apple juice and cider brandy, which is then aged for several years before bottling. It's fruity, toasty and fairly heavy - as such it is often drunk as a digestif or paired with cheeses.

There's some significance to this particular Experimental edition - it represents a new type of cask that was only permitted wef 31 Oct 2019. The Scotch Whisky Technical File, which is used by HMRC to ensure compliance, was amended to expand the cask types that can be used in Scotch production wef 31 Oct 2019. Specifically, the change allows Scotch to be matured in oak casks that have previously been used to age wine, beer, ale and spirits, vastly broadening the variety of casks available to distillers.

While it may appear like yet another instalment in the Highland whiskymaker's Experimental Series - which frankly, is there really any whiskymaker that doesn't have something of the sort (along with some Art series of some kind) - this is actually a real step outside of what has existed in Scotch-verse. The use of a fruit liqueur cask is something that was only permissible under the revised Scotch labelling rules that (belatedly) changed in 2019, which was in part due to a leaked expose of Diageo's push for Scotch makers to be allowed to use a wider range of casks. Somerset Pomona actually falls under the new rules which specifically allow fruit-based spirits which are made having added fruit after fermentation or after distillation (specifically, this one).

This of course, also comes off the back of Scotch makers acknowledging the need to be more competitive as their Irish, Japanese and Australian peers, amongst others, have taken advantage of the restrictive Scotch rules that only allow mainly the Big 4 casks - Bourbon, Sherry, Rum and Wine (not exhaustive, but primarily these) - to get ahead of Scotch by marketing interesting and innovative use of different casks.

This isn't some marketing bullshit, it really is an experiment in that sense and a sensible one (unlike some funky casks that have been used the moment these laws were broadened) - so for something like 43 GBP, and is quite easily available at your nearby retailer, it is certainly worth a shot. Let's hope this gets a worldwide release as well, which no news has been announced yet. Perhaps we might start to see somewhat of a loosening up of Sherry's grip on the Scotch category.

OFFICIAL TASTING NOTES

Nose: Glenfiddich notes of fresh pears and ripe orchard fruits, elevated and accentuated by a finishing period in Somerset Pomona Spirit casks.

Palate: An initial burst of ripe orchard fruits on the palate softens and develops into sweet creamy toffee, caramelised apple, and woody spice.

Finish: Long-lasting sweetness.

This sounds wonderful. Deep, fruity notes and a more creamy and heavier-bodied texture is a profile that is popular in whiskies. It's accessible in terms of taste, seems pretty generally likeable in terms of flavours (nothing too divisive), and has a good weight to it - probably nothing wild should be expected here, but certainly would seem like a good starter/daily sipper whisky. Quite easy to pick up as well and reasonable price, $48-52. Don't look for too much here. Simple does it.